Empty War
by SilverStarlight7
Summary: Ed is stuck in the middle of a gruesome war that has taken its toll on both sides. With the thought that all he knows is gone what will become of him? EdxWin
1. Empty Heart

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Chapter 1: Empty Heart

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The sun never sets quite the way it used to. The dreams I once held don't seem to matter much anymore. Is that what growing up is? No one ever tells you it will be like this, perhaps they want to mask all the horrors life entails. Because maybe they realize that if we were to truly understand what was to become of us, we would have no desire to continue. No longer will my heart yearn for that beautiful place...that beautiful girl. No, this war has taken all of it. I have no room left to love. Yet I do not fill this heart with hate, it is merely empty; empty of passion, empty of emotion. I'm tired, tired of trying to figure out what I did wrong to deserve this. Will this war ever end? Sometimes I wonder if we fight these wars on purpose. Perhaps we want so badly to feel...to feel anything at all that we tear each other apart. But at the end of the day I feel nothing, nothing at all.

A loud bang resounded through the air, followed by the screams of thousands. Some scream their last breathe while others scream in horror of the scene that unfolds before them. Ed sits off of the front line, awaiting his death. No one will make it out of this war alive. The men have lost all purpose, there is no glory, there is no victory to be had. Both sides have taken such a beating that neither can win. Someone once told him they were fighting for freedom, but as he killed day after day he found it hard to see this freedom they were talking about.

It had been about a month ago when he had heard the news that shattered about the only thing that kept him going. Mustang had approached him, with nothing but a simple telegram. Opening the note he felt the tears fall angry and hard down his face. "Ed…its gone, all of it. They bombed every last inch. Pinako, Winry, Den and Al were not found. I'm so sorry. Riza Hawkeye"

Ed screamed a scream that rang unlike the screams of men on the line. His scream told that of a direct blow to the heart. Every night that he was at this horrible place he would dream of one day walking up that road to his home. He would picture her waiting on the front porch. He cherished this thought, that one day he would be able to return to that life that he wanted so badly to have.

A loud voice interrupted his thoughts, "Haynes, Riley, Munson, Drews, Elric, Anton; you are to lead your men to the east point front line." Ed sat up and started to gather his belongings. He knew where his destiny lay; he had already cheated death for the last time. This time he wouldn't be coming back.

Ed gasped as he held his good arm which was now throbbing with the pain of the shell that had exploded too close for comfort. He could see the shattered piece of metal lodged into his flesh which had caused him to fall to his knees. His ears where ringing as his head seethed in pain. He felt the ground tremble as his vision blurred. He couldn't hold out any longer; with one last look at the scene of death before him he closed his eyes. All he wanted to see was her.

Winry felt the usual wave of nausea sweep over her as they brought in the next group of patients. She looked closely at each of their faces, scanning for that one face she knew she would never see again. It was the same each time. She couldn't forget the sight of her hometown burning to the ground. It was a miracle that they had been away at the time of the bombing. She had left her grandma and Al soon after to go to the front to help assist in any way she could. She couldn't stand and watch while all she knew was blown to pieces, she had to do something. No longer could she wait while she watched the people she loved await their inevitable deaths. She felt that her parents would be proud of her for the decision she made.

It was funny how easy being a surgeon came to her. She was so used to dealing with tools and how the body worked that it suited her very well. Yet being in this environment wasn't at all settling. No matter how many men she saved, there was always the one she couldn't. This tore at every inch of her heart. The harder she worked the closer she felt she was to saving the one person that resided within her heart. "Ed, please be ok."

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I guess I'm stuck on this whole love tragedy spiral with EdxWin. I always start off a lil vague and then turn into some sort of random rambling story. I hope you like it.

Until the next time,

Amy


	2. Heavens Tears

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Chapter 2: Heaven's Tears

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The rain poured down upon the first aid tent making it hard to decipher the approximate area of the bombings compared to nature's vicious thunder. Winry couldn't help but feel helpless; it was as if the world itself had proclaimed war. A terrible booming noise crashed through the air as Winry was thrown to the ground. A bomb had completely destroyed the right wing of the center.

The impact of the first hit had caused the left wing to crumble, pinning her to the ground. Her head swam in and out of focus as she tried to pull herself from the wreckage. Tears of frustration spilled down her blood stained face as she unsuccessfully tried to pull herself out from under the debris. 'NO...NO...they NEED me, I can't die, not like this.' Her thoughts drifted off to the man she had been so desperately trying to find, 'I can't die, not before I see him one last time.' Her face was wet with a mixture of rain and tears as she tried to call for help. Winry heard herself let out a cry as she felt the weight lift off of her returning the feeling to her battered body. Blinking several times she finally caught sight of the man who had rescued her. He looked so familiar. She took one last look before her body fell unconscious, "Roy Mustang?"

Mustang had just been dispatched from the clinic when the first aid center got hit. He cursed out loud as he ducked to avoid the flying debris. His face twisted in disgusted rage. They had crossed the line he knew all too well, they had turned into cowards as they took down the helpless and unprotected. His eyes flashed with malice as he stepped out of the rubble. Panicked and distressed patients, nurses and doctors flooded the scene trying to recover as much as they could. Ear splitting cries rang out as the wounded teetered on the brink of death. Old wounds had been reopened, and fresh cuts littered their bodies. The sight that lay before him made his stomach churn as he noticed a mop of blonde hair from under a piece of the roofing. His adrenaline pumping he made his way over to where the girl was crying out. He knew who it was even before he pulled her out. As he cradled her in his arms he heard her whisper his name before her body went limp. Hundreds of thoughts raced through his head as he tried to piece together everything, he was told months ago that she was believed to be dead, yet there she was in his arms dressed in doctor scrubs. Clearing his head, Mustang radioed back to headquarters to send in rescue troops to help assist. He could see there were still a number of people scattered amongst the pieces of roofing and supplies. He prided himself on being a strong willed man, but it took every inch of his strength not to scream out in agony as he took in all the bodies that lay deathly still in the pouring rain.

'Even the gods cry for what we men have done, what we have become.'

Winry awoke to find Riza's face inches from her own. Her faced flooded with emotion as she pulled the girl into a tight embrace. "Oh Winry!" the tears spilled down her face. "We thought you were killed, and then just now when Roy brought you in I felt like I was losing you all over again." Winry gripped the bed sheets her knuckles turning white as she remembered the clinic in pieces.

"Please, please tell me everyone was ok after the bombing." She held her breath awaiting an answer she really did not want to hear. Maybe it was because deep down she knew the answer was anything but happy. Rizas eyes clouded over as she looked out the window, she had just gotten the report that over 20 people had been killed on impact. "Winry I..." Winry squared her jaw before she rolled out of the makeshift bed.

Stunned Riza grabbed her arm, "No Winry you mustn't, we need you to regain your strength first."

Winry pulled her into a tearful hug, "Please thank Roy for saving my life when you see him next. I must return to the clinic. They need my help now more than ever." The stubbornness that had always been one of her distinctive traits was ever present as she set off to the battlefield. 'Whatever pain that I feel now is nothing compared to the pain of those who are waiting for someone, anyone to save them.'

Ed woke up to a sudden jolt as the car jerked its way towards the nearest first aid center. A deep voice managed to grab his attention as he struggled to keep his eyes open "We're almost there son, just hold out a little bit longer." It was then that he noticed that Jean Havoc was by his side. All of his wounds had been tightly wrapped with ripped cloth. As they carried him into the damaged looking first aid center Ed felt his heart stop as he caught sight of a familiar blonde haired women racing around the clinic. He felt his heart quicken, 'she was alive.' Yet he could see that she was battered and bruised, he cursed this war for what it had done and what it was doing to her. He tried desperately to call her name but all he could manage was a weak whimper before he slipped back into the blackness that had been waiting for him. Havoc stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of the person which had taken Ed's undivided attention.

"Doctor, Doctor Rockbell?" a nurse asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Winry answered slightly out of breath.

"The army has personally requested that you take care of the soldier that they have just brought in."

Winry wasn't at all startled by this news; she was a highly trained surgeon who specialized in high risk surgeries. Even with all the gruesome injuries she was bombarded with, she never wavered in her commitment to helping. It was the words of one of her patients to her the other day as she prepared him for surgery that kept repeating itself in her head.

_He looked up at her, "Don't be scared, If I have to die here right now (he placed a hand on Winry's face)… at least I am in the presence of an angel."_

She wondered what had become of that man. A sadness floated through her heart as she glanced at the burned down portion of the clinic what if he never made it out alive? Winry finished stitching up her patient's leg before she followed the nurse over to the man who had just been brought in. Winry jumped slightly when she recognized Jean Havoc standing over the young man, his face flooding with relief as she walked towards him. "Miss Rockbell, or should I say Doctor Rockbell. Please you must hurry, he's pretty beat up. We just found him a couple of hours ago."

She tried to assess the situation when a metal arm caught her attention; she knew this piece of auto mail all too well. A gasp escaped her mouth as her eyes fixed upon the face of Edward Elric.

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Oh you know you love cliff hangers!

I apologize though

There is a lot of bad wording in this...yikes

Amy


	3. Come Back to Me

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**Chapter 3: Come Back to Me**

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Winry tried to steady her hands as she tried frantically to stitch up the worst of his wounds. A horrible fear was bubbling up in her stomach as she noticed the amount of blood that was splattered on her scrubs as well as on the metal operating table. She strained to hear his faint breathing over the roar of gunfire. She needed to remove the huge chunk of shell that had lodged itself into his arm, however she knew it was the only thing that was blocking the flow of blood out of one of his major arteries. Her lips quivered as she worked on her best friend. There was a pause in his breathing; Winry chocked back the tears that were the last wall between her forced calm and a total breakdown. Every little cut dug deeper into her heart as she looked into the face of the man she had been praying for for over 5 years. There was so much that was unspoken between them, there was a nervous silence that had quieted her heart for so many years. What kind of sick fate was it that they had been torn apart for so long only to be reunited when he was on his deathbed? She tried to keep her voice steady, "Hand me that second bag of gauze." but the nurse noticed that something wasn't right and grabbed Winry's arm forcing her to look straight into the nurse's eyes.

"Doctor Rockbell do you need me to step in?"

With a sense of finality Winry took a deep breathe and looked the nurse in the eyes, "No, its fine I can handle this. I cannot fail." He had always protected her from the horrors that the world had thrown at them; he was her family, her best friend, and her one true love. It was her turn to save him for once.

The commanding officer noticed that the young blonde doctor was looking as if she would pass out at any moment. "Nurse how long has that Doctor been working on patients?"

The nurse checked her chart, her face going pale, "she has been in and out of surgeries for the past 48 hours."

The commanding officer quickly got a hold of Winry, "Doctor Rockbell, your shift has been over for more than 24 hours. I will not permit you to continue to ware yourself down like this. Please you've done enough today." He gave her an encouraging smile and set off. Winry nodded somewhat in a daze as she tried to recount the amount of patients she had seen after she had finished performing surgery on Ed. She couldn't bear to sit and wait doing nothing while he lay in a coma fighting for his life. She had busied herself performing non stop surgeries for about 48 hours. Feeling the exhaustion finally hit her she went to the recovery room to see him. Pulling up a chair she rested her head gently next to his as she held his hand. His breathing slowly lulled her into a deep sleep as she clutched his hand.

Every night she spent by his side holding his hand. Winry stared at his peaceful face; his body had been in a coma for a couple of days. The truth was about to spill from her lips, no longer could she hold it in. There was no need for her to stay quiet. Love was one of the only things that she had come to hold on to. It was the one thing that brought her to believe in mankind at all, the fact that something such as love could come from one person to another. She couldn't be sure he could hear her, but she said it anyways. "I have always felt something for you Ed, you and Al have been my best friends and my support through all of the hard times. Yet as the years go by I have to admit that I feel something else. You complete me in a way that no one else can. You're the reason behind me being able to carry on day after day in this horrific place. Without you I feel so empty." Her voice filled with emotion, "This body of mine withers away without your touch and when I can no longer hear your voice my head fills up with empty words and meaningless phrases." Before she fell fast asleep she spoke softly into his ear, "Come back to me Ed...please...please..._come back to me_."

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Sorry this one is pretty short

Amy

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	4. How to Save a Life

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**Chapter 4: How to Save a Life**

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A warm hand rested in his, Ed felt a rush of love as he looked to the person who was asleep by his side. Through the darkness he gazed at her pale skin and golden blonde hair that shimmered in the moonlight. He could still hear the sounds of battle drifting through the cool night air, but all he could think of was that his final wish had been granted. Here she was the one he had been dreaming of right by his side. It was the face of the one person that had stood between him and the insanity that engulfed all those who were forced to kill. It was something of a miracle that it only took one look at her after 5 years to melt away his icy heart. He could barely squeeze her hand yet alone lift his head as he struggled to wake her. His voice was barely audible over the ambiance of the battle that was ensuing. With a deep breathe; he managed to choke out the name that had repeated itself in his head a million and one times, "Winry." His voice cracked as he felt himself start to tremble from the pain that was still flowing through every vein in his body.

Winry heard her name. It took a moment before she finally cracked open her eyelids to see a pair of golden eyes fixed on hers. Tears spilled down her face as she gently embraced him. They remained like this for what seemed like hours. He had broken out of the coma that had her heart in a knot. As Winry started to pull back, she felt Ed place his hands on her face, his expression unreadable.

Keeping his eyes locked on hers he brought her lips within inches of his... He scanned her face as his heart raced. Winry answered his silent question by closing the gap between their lips. Her heart seemed to mimic his as a warm blush spread across her face.

"_Winry_..." Ed spoke softly into her ear. All of the pain he had felt seemed to melt away at her touch. He gently brushed away the tears that were still falling down her cheeks. That smile of hers was surreal; he had not seen a smile like that, not here. In the chaos of war there was no reason to smile, not a smile like this. Her face radiated a sense of happiness that told him all he ever wanted to know. Without words she had told him that he meant the world to her. After awhile he finally spoke out loud what his heart was thinking, "I knew it was you before I could even see your face...I think I always knew that you were the only one who could save me."

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So its short

But there is a kiss

so that should count for something

Amy


	5. Innocent Blood

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Chapter 5: Innocent Blood

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Panicked voices filled the air as the sun rose above the darkened horizon. Winry shifted in her sleep her head lying on Eds lap. A booming voice called her out of her sleep, "Doctor Rockbell! Doctor Rockbell wake up, we have an emergency." Blinking the sleep out of her eyes she looked up to see the commander running towards her. A group of medics rushed past them and out the door.

Winrys eyes locked in on the commander, "What is going on?"

The commander shook his head, "We need as many doctors and nurses as we can manage out there."

Winry's mind raced, what in the world could make him act like this, what could possibly be worse than the situation that they were in already. Her voice trembled with fear, "what...what has happened?"

The commander's face darkened with age as he spoke to her, "The enemy has bombed the nearby town, there are hundreds of innocent people who are trapped in the wreckage who need medical attention, and fast...I am asking you to come, but you need to know that the site is still under siege and we cannot guarantee safe grounds. In other words I do not expect you to risk your life; if you choose to remain here I will not hold it against you."

Her voice rang out through the room, "I will go."

"Very well, I will explain it all to you on the ride over but please we must hurry." turning on his heals the commander disappeared around the corner.

Without a second thought Winry began to stand up when she felt a hand grab her wrist.

He was staring at her, his eyes burning into hers. She pulled her hand out of his; she knew what he would say. Taking a deep breathe she willed herself to continue.

"Ed, please. You know I must go. I wish for you to take the army's offer of a leave. Your injuries need time to heal. Please go find Granny and AL. Please take care of yourself and the two of them."

"NO!" Eds voice softened as he gazed at her. A hard silence filled the air, "Winry, listen to me, don't be a hero. You don't need to put yourself in danger to live up to your parents. Granny and Al need you to come back safely, I need you...to come back safely."

A wiry smile claimed her face, "You know I'm too stubborn to let you talk me into going home, especially when there are innocent people who need me. I wouldn't be my parents daughter if I didn't go." There was a slight note of pride in her voice as she smiled kindly at him. "...and Ed...I need you to know one thing if I should fail to return..."

Eds face turned angry as he stared at her, "STOP, don't say it Winry."

She placed a finger to his lips, "Shh please listen to me Ed, if I should not return I want you to know that you always have, and always will be the one." There was a slight pause as a time warp seemed to capture the beating of their hearts. With one swift move their lips had collided in a bittersweet embrace. What felt like hours were merely seconds as she quickly pulled away and started to run out the door. If she didn't run now she knew she would lose her strength to leave. As she reached the door she turned back to face him her eyes betraying the fear and loss she felt. "Don't be sad Ed, we will see each other again..._if not in this world, then the next."_

Jumping into the army jeep Winry tried to focus on the task at hand. "Why did they bomb this town?"

The commander shook his head, his voice filled with a disgusted tone, "It seems that the town's people have been providing some of our soldiers with food and clothing. Once the enemy's army discovered this, they started to attack the defenseless town. As of now we have two of our divisions guarding the southern end of the town. Most of the damaged areas that we are going to be working in are on the Southeast end; I will meet up with my troops there. Now I must ask you to be the head Doctor here, most of the doctors and nurses working already have never practiced medicine under these conditions. I wont lie to you Docter Rockbell we are counting on you to keep them going."

Winry nodded her head solemnly, "I will do my best Sir."

The commander patted her on the shoulder, "You are a fine doctor and a very strong woman, I know these people are in good hands."

It took a little over 20 minutes to reach the site, but upon their arrival she did not question their whereabouts. This place was it, it needed no introductions. Fires ran rampart through the buildings creating a huge black smoke cloud that encompassed the entire town. It was a rough ride through the rubble and debris, not to mention the occasional explosion. They soon managed to find a beat up looking medical tent where there were already doctors and nurses hard at work. Several women and children sat around the area waiting to be treated. An infant's cry rang through the air sending chills down her spine. The commander's voice brought her back to reality, "Well here you are. I must take off to assist my troops."

Winry saluted the man, "You are a good man commander." Her voice grew louder, "Please end this war."

The commander smiled a sad smile before he drove off.

Winry was stunned by the amount of patients that the rescue team had managed to save in the past hour. It seemed that every time she thought they were out of the storm they would bring in several more. However it was relieving to know that they were being able to help so many. It was a hard environment to work in, she was not prepared for the sights that she had come across. Not even the front lines of the battlefield had wielded such wounds. On the front line she had to deal with young men, adults. But here, here was very different. These patients were all across the board, from toddlers to the elderly, pain and destruction knew no boundaries. It was taking every ounce of her strength to keep her focus as the night wore on.

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So just ignore the fact that they have no

commander rank in the series

I uhh made that up

feel free to laugh

Amy


	6. Long Road Home

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**Chapter 6: Long Road Home**

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Al sat outside as granny worked hard on yet another soldier's auto mail. Since they had moved to Rush Valley it seemed like granny was busy as ever, he smirked as he noticed the resemblance in the way both Granny and Winry worked with auto mail. It was with a sense of pride and love that they put together each piece. He sighed for about the hundredth time with his head in his hands. He hated sitting there knowing that both his brother and Winry were out there, Winry battling to save lives, Ed destroying them. It was a weird sort of yin and yang effect. It was then that he noticed the flag on the mailbox was up. Inside the box sat a rather beaten looking envelope with the names Pinako Rockbell and Alphonse Elric written across it. Al ripped it open recognizing the handwriting at once.

_Dear Al and Granny,_

_I know I haven't written and I am very sorry, there is no such thing as a break out here. I hope you are receiving this before you hear about the accident. Last month the clinic got bombed, but please don't worry I am fine. Now for the most important reason why I wrote, I found Ed. Don't worry Al I took good care of him, in fact I told him to go home to you two as soon as he is healthy enough. However right now I am on my way to the Southern front where the enemy has just bombed an innocent town. It has become the peak battle site, yet I must go there. The people in that town need me; I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I stayed behind. I told Ed to return home to you two; I hope he listens for once. I don't know when I will be coming home, I have this feeling that my fate is slowly turning into my parents as I start to follow in their footsteps. If this is the case don't cry for me, I have loved to the depths of my heart and been loved in return. I have found the love of my life and I have become the person that I know my parents would be proud of. Please don't misunderstand my words, I have no intention of dying but until this war is over I realize the peril of everyday life out here. Granny you have taught me everything I know and Al I know you will take care of your brother. I love you all very much._

_Winry_

Al had given the letter to Granny after he read it for what seemed like the twentieth time.

Granny's face shadowed for a moment before she too let out a sorrowful sigh. "Oh Winry, when did you grow up so fast?"

Ed drummed his fingers impatiently as he rode the train to Rush Valley. It was a few weeks after Winry left that they finally found him healthy enough to be allowed to travel. The army had honorably discharged him because of the extent of his injuries, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Winry had pulled some of her clout within the army to let him go. He put his head in his hands as he thought over the past couple of weeks. His heartbeat quickened as remembered her face inches from his.

The train lurched to a stop as the whistles blew announcing their arrival in Rush Valley. Ed slowly picked up his belongings and made his way to the exit. It was then that he noticed a familiar blonde haired man with his eyes waiting on the platform. A grin stretched across his face as he realized Al had indeed outgrown him in the time he had been gone.

Al searched the crowd desperate to see his brothers face, Ed had sent them a telegram the night before telling of his arrival that morning. Seconds later he saw a glint of metal and took off in its direction. Coming face to face with his older brother they stood silent for a few minutes before Al hurtled himself onto his brother in a big bear hug. Ed laughed as he staggered backward. "Well Al it seems you're all grown up."

Al beamed at his brother, "I don't know if I can say the same for you." his mouth twitched with laughter.

Ed glared at his brother before he too found himself smiling.

Al felt the words slip out his mouth before he could rethink them, "So how are you?"

It was a simple question with the most complicated of answers. Ed's face turned back into its wartime fatigue, a face that had settled itself into most of the soldiers. Al noticed the air between them had become colder as the weight of the war fell upon them. "I'm glad your safe Al. I was told that you, Win, and granny where lost when they bombed Resembol." He placed a hand onto Al's shoulder, "I'm sorry I brought Winry into this war." His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Al wasn't prepared for those particular words, but he faced his brother with firm stance. "Brother, it's not your fault and you know it. She wanted to help. I think she wanted to make her parents proud, to make us proud and well you know Winry once she makes up her mind there's no changing it." Al looked his brother in the eyes, "You know what she said the night you left for war?" Eds face went a little pale as he looked into his brothers eyes.

_Flashback:_

"_Al, I'm sorry I have to go. They are calling for doctors out there and I have been working at the hospital ever since the bombing." Her voice started to quiver, "Al I...I love him. How can I just sit here knowing he could be dying out there? How could I live with myself if I didn't go and at least try to save others?" Al couldn't find any words to rival these. _

"_Just promise me that you will come back, I can't lose both you and Ed."_

_Winry grabbed Al in a hug, "Al you have grown into a great man. I will never forget what you have done for me. I know Ed loves you very much, I love you very much but I can't promise that I will be able to come back. You have the purist of hearts; please don't let this war taint you like it has the rest of this world." _

They walked back to the Rockbell auto mail shop in silence. Both of them had their thoughts on Winry. It was sickening to think that she could meet the same cruel fate as her parents. Granny was sitting on the front porch when they arrived; her face fell slightly as she scanned in vain for her granddaughter who was nowhere to be found. "So she really did go."

Ed could not look her in the eyes, "Yes."

Granny laughed a sad and tired laugh, "Funny she followed you into this war, I thought she would follow you home. I guess it's an old woman's mistake thinking such silly things."

Ed sat down on the porch. "If she's anything like you, it will take more than a war to bring her down."

Granny smiled at the boys sitting next to her, she hoped for their sake he was right.

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I know, it does need work

This is pretty confusing because I switch from character to character

but thats me I guess

sorry

if you dont like it, dont read it

haha if your reading this then you probably already read it

my apologies

till next time,

Amy


	7. Death Toll

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**Chapter 7: Death Toll**

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Winry gasped as blood splattered all over her, the patient was deathly still. Her stomach lurched, but the need for action not emotion had to prevail. Shouting orders to the nurses she tried desperately to save his life. "Doctor...should I call it?"

Winrys head snapped in the nurse's direction, "NO!" she took a deep breath calming herself, "No, please I can still save him." It was the same line over and over again. She could not say it, nor would she stand to hear it. No, no one would die in front of her.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder, "Please doctor there is nothing more you can do for him...he has lost too much blood."

Winry chocked out a sob, the little boy lying on the operating table couldn't be any older than 9 or 10 years old. She stared at his lifeless body until her body could no longer take it. Grabbing the nearest towel she started to furiously wipe the blood off her body. The tears wouldn't stop coming as she strained to get a grip on reality. The next second she was on the ground in a heap her body racked with tears of despair, his blood still covering her hands. She hardly noticed the nurse sitting next to her trying to calm her until someone else approached them.

A veteran doctor had seen the whole thing, he watched as the young blonde doctor fell to her knees in a wake of hysteria. He had seen it happen time and time again. How could the human mind be asked to witness such horrors? There was nothing that could prepare anyone to handle these situations, yet they had to. They didn't have the leisure of time to waste crying over the ones they couldn't save, every moment was another second in which another life could be saved. He grabbed the girl's shoulders firmly and shook her. "SNAP OUT OF IT! Doctor Rockbell you are one of the head doctors, pull it together. In the time you just wasted crying you could have saved someone else." He knew his words were harsh, but this was no time for coddling. This scene was all too familiar as he had been through it the first week he had arrived. The only way to combat such an emotional breakdown was with harsh reality.

Winry slowly stood up and dried her tears, as she strained to regain her composure. She looked at the older doctor, "I apologize...thank you." With that she grabbed the charts from the nurse and began to prep for her next surgery. It was weird how time flew not by the second but by the hour. One hour she was amputating a limb, the next she was performing open heart surgery. She racked her brain as she preformed numerous surgeries; all of their faces seemed to blend together.

Reports from the front were not promising; the last that they had heard was that the medic team at South City had stayed longer in an effort to assist the soldiers as well as the small percentage of citizens who were still trapped in parts of the city. Ed held his breath as he read over the list of deceased, but her name was nowhere to be found. Al looked anxiously at his brother, "So what has happened?"

Ed finally looked up from the newspaper, "She's not on there Al, but the city is still under siege. It's been about a week now; I'm not sure how long the emergency medic team will be staffed there." In that one week their army had taken the lead, now the only real battle sight was in South City.

Winry shivered in the cold night breeze as she tried to catch some sleep before her morning shift. Sleeping out there was impossible; it was like falling asleep in midair. She couldn't close her eyes for fear that she would hit the ground before she woke. The constant state of alertness had taken its toll, she was extremely thin and her skin was pale with fatigue. Exhaustion was a constant state of being therefore she really didn't see it as a problem, merely an annoyance. The gunfire was getting closer and closer each night. Part of her worried about the fact that they were getting closer to the fighting while the other half concerned itself on matters of the heart. A soldier the day before had shown her a picture of his wife and son as he was being prepped for surgery. He had begged her to save him if only so he could see his wife and son again. Her heart broke, but not only for this man and his family, but for the family she feared she would never see. Questions clouded her mind as she went through her day, will I ever marry, have kids? Ed...how could she forget him, the man who had stolen her heart so long ago. Would she ever see him again? Had her luck run out on her?

Supplies were short; shipments to their station were being stolen by the enemy's forces. If they could not get in a shipment before the next day she feared they would not be able to operate at all. The worst news however was to come in the afternoon.

"RETREAT!! RETREAT!!"

Winry looked around in confusion as the man ran through the station, "Hold on soldier what has happened?"

His voice was hysteric, "They're on their way, they have taken down the last of our men with poison gas. Everyman for themselves."

Winry stood her feet planted firmly on the ground her mind racing, "Quickly start loading up the men who cannot walk into the jeeps. Those who can walk start moving towards the nearby station." If that man was telling the truth, she knew it was only a matter of time before the enemy's forces would find their way to the station.

The sound of gun shots rang out feet from where she stood, the ground trembled. Winry's mind flashed back to Ed's face her voice barely escaped her lips as she felt a gun barrel push into her back, "I'm sorry, I don't think I will make it home."

The enemy had taken South City.

* * *

Sorry these are all starting to sound the same

as ALWAYS Ill try to fix it later

most likely when Im done

not sure when that will be

Amy


	8. Choosing Sides

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Chapter 8: Choosing Sides

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She could hear her heart beat wildly in her chest as the cold barrel of a gun pressed against her back. She closed her eyes waiting for it come; death had finally caught up with her. Voices rang out around her as she stood rooted to the ground. The screams of fear and cries of war circled around her. The owner of the gun panted slightly as he held the gun to the young doctors back. "Don't move, all you need to do is listen to me and I will let you live." Winry shook her head. She wasn't going to cower down, she would die with honor. Turning around slowly she stared the soldier in the eyes, "I feel sorry for you, how delusional must you be to think you actually have the power to decide if I live or die?"

The soldier was staring at her with surprise, a look of shock written across his face. This girl didn't have the same fear as the men he had fought against. Yet his purpose had too much riding on him for this to continue. He grabbed her shirt and lifted her up so that she started to choke from the amount of pressure that he put on her throat. "I SAID that you will listen to me." His voice turned back to its normal pitch as he stared into her innocent blue eyes. He slowly put her down. "Please, my comrade is in desperate need of medical attention."

Winry eyed the man who had threatened her life so easily with suspicion.

"Why don't you have your own medical team help him?"

The soldiers face twitched unpleasantly, "Our forces felt that being a soldier was more important than being a doctor or a nurse. No one was trained in that area, we were only trained to fight. We have no medic team." His voice sounded weary and tired. Something behind the girl made him go stiff as he reverted back to his commanding voice, "I'm not asking you to help me, I'm telling you to."

Winry felt her face grow pale as she noticed a group of enemy soldiers over her shoulder. She slowly nodded her head in response to the soldier, knowing that if she didn't she wouldn't make it out of there alive.

"Sergeant Anderson we have the area under control."

The man who had threatened her life nodded his head, "Excellent, let us keep on track. Bring her." He motioned to the spot where Winry stood her face expressionless. 'This Anderson guy, there was something off about him.' Two of the soldiers roughly grabbed her by the arms and dragged her along beside them. It was then that she noticed one of the fallen soldiers from her side was standing up. A lone gunshot rang through her as she felt the man beside her fall to the ground.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her."

Winry gasped in surprise, it was the man that she had saved months ago, the one who had called her an angel. She felt a cry ring through her throat as several guns now pointed in his direction. "No please!" she stared wildly at the men around her, "Please don't shoot! He doesn't mean any harm. Please I will go without a fight, please don't hurt him."

Anderson glared at her and without a second thought spoke clearly.

"Kill him."

"NO!" Winry frantically tried to free herself in a vain attempt to save him.

His eyes widened in surprise as the shot nailed him in the chest causing him to fall to his knees. Winry screamed, "NOOO PLEASE! DON'T SHOOT, DON'T SHOOT. PLEASE STOP." She knew it was too late as his eyes shut and his body hit the ground with a dull thud. Yet she continued to plead with them. "Puuuh…please…please…don't shoot." Her face was contorted as his words repeated themselves in her head,

"_If I have to die here right now … at least I am in the presence of an angel."_

She felt weak in the knees as she started to sway. A rough hand pulled her back up, "Now is not the time for weakness, there is business we need to attend to." They soon brought in the man they were all talking about. Winry bit her bottom lip, lying before her was the former Fuhrer Bradley. She had heard of this man, she had heard of the autocracies he had committed before he was forced to resign from his position. Last she had heard he was the leader of the enemy's forces. His body laid limply on a stretcher, several bullet wounds claiming their marks across his skin. Winry could feel the chills run down her back; she stared at the blood with a sense of resentment. Here he was, a murderer who she was supposed to save. Her hesitance was duly noted as she felt the familiar coldness of a gun barrel press to her temple. Anderson's voice had taken on a sinister luster as he spoke coldly to her.

"If you don't save him, I won't hesitate to kill you."

His blunt words had no effect on her; she was already in a state of numbness. Her conscious was screaming at her, she couldn't possibly save the man who was responsible for the start of this war. Bradley had started a genocide the likes of which the world had never seen. It was a simple decision, only its consequences had superior problems. If she saved the man, she knew he would continue on his path of destruction. However if she refused to help him, not only would she loose her life but how could she grantee they wouldn't find someone else to save him. Her head spun, she wasn't afraid of dying yet she couldn't help but feel like it was her job to help put an end to this war. The man who had just tried to save her stood out in her mind. She wouldn't let his death be in vain.

"I need supplies."

Anderson stared curiously at her but didn't respond.

Gathering up her courage she spoke again, "I SAID I will need supplies if you expect me to take care of him."

Anderson gazed at her for awhile before he jerked his head towards a soldier who saluted him and set off to gather supplies. "So you'll do this without a fight?"

Winry stared at him coldly, "I'm doing it because I'm a doctor, that's what I do."

* * *

I gave Win some attitude

That's all until next time

Amy


	9. Hidden Agenda

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Chapter 9: Hidden Agenda

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Winry winced in pain as she tried to keep operating on Bradley. She had been carefully removing each bullet from his chest, but with several complications she had been in surgery for over 8 hours. Now in the past there had always been a reason to fight through this pain, but with this man her body could find no purpose. Slowly her hands began to blur in front of her eyes as fatigue started to claim ever inch of her body. "I…I can't operate any longer. Please I need some rest." She looked to Anderson who appeared to be in charge. For a moment she could have sworn she saw sympathy behind his cruel eyes, but the next second she knew she had been terribly mistaken as he slapped her across the face.

"Did I tell you that you could speak?" his voice held no sorrow for her; it was filled with an authoritative vindictiveness that filled the air.

Tears of frustration and fear started to well up in her eyes as she struggled to continue removing the last two bullets. Her hands shook with effort making each second an eternity. If she killed this man, there was to be no forgiveness. However with every moment that passed she knew that her odds were running low. She almost had it when suddenly her hand slipped opening up one of his wounds. Winry's hands turned red as the blood ran out of his body at an alarming pace. It wasn't as if she wasn't trying to save him, her fatigue had merely caused her to make a mistake that she couldn't even begin to fix. She just stared at the man convulsing in front of her, unable to move.

Anderson watched as the girl slipped and cut open Bradley who started to convulse as blood poured from his wound. The girl seemed to be caught in shock as she remained frozen in place. He quickly made his way over to her, his patience had run out. Crouching down next to her he whispered in her ear, "You let him die and I will kill you."

Winry turned to face the man her face wet with tears, "Then kill me, please."

He stared into her deep blue eyes which held nothing but the truth, she meant her words. "Then I suppose after we kill you we should do the right thing and put a Pinako Rockbell and an Alphonse Elric out of their misery?" his eyes flashed with malice as her rolled her family's names off of his tongue. He watched as she started to tremble and smiled, "Oh and I almost forgot my dear; we will make sure that Mr. Edward Elric follows right behind them. Now would you like to be buried next to them or is that a little cliché?"

Mustering up all her courage Winry turned back to Bradley and tried desperately to stop his bleeding, her family's lives depended on his. As each tear drop fell down her cheek she cursed the sick game that this man was playing with her. To blackmail her like that only proved he was as clever as he was cruel.

With one last stitch Winry let out a sob as she crumpled to the floor in tears of pain and relief, his condition had stabilized. She flinched as Anderson put his hand on her shoulder, "Thank you my dear, see that wasn't so hard now was it." Even through the soldiers nearby snickered at his sarcasm; she couldn't help but notice that there was a hint of sincerity to his voice. A feeling of sickness washed over her as she thought about her vague future. Wasn't their only reason for keeping her alive to operate on Bradley, what would become of her now that she was done? Not only that, but she felt uneasy knowing that they knew so much about her. The fatigue that had been threatening her all evening finally took its hold as she slumped against the wall, her body slipping into unconsciousness.

Anderson willed himself to be stronger, if he didn't keep up this hostile image the soldiers would surely catch on to his plan. He furrowed his brow in disgust; he had never hit a girl before. All of those hurtful words and the way he had blackmailed her made him sick to his stomach. Yet in order for his plan to go through, he needed Bradley to stay alive and to trust him. In an effort to calm the girl he tried to convey some sympathy as he thanked her, however he wasn't sure she would catch on to his hints as she slumped over in fatigue. Without hesitation he turned to his men. "Let her rest in my courters, she has more work to do later." Once again he felt sick as the men snickered at their own perverted meaning to his words. He shook his head and walked over to the meeting that was already in progress, he would make sure he ended this war once and for all.

Ed sat on the ruble that once was his home. There was nothing here for him yet he always found his way back to this particular spot. He had thought that by looking into his past he could figure out someway to change the future. The selfish rampage he had been on for most of his life had only brought him misery and pain. He had wanted to bring back his mother, wanted to save Al, wanted to fight for the army, and lastly he had wanted her to wait for him. Nothing he had ever done had been for anyone else; he had always had selfish intentions. There was an overwhelming sense of regret as he thought of her, he had so many opportunities to be with her and he had thrown them all away. He spoke to the wind hoping his message would somehow reach her, "I will wait for you as you have always waited for me. I will trust that you will return as I know you have always trusted me."

* * *

phew its done

not the story but this chapter

haha and just to point out an overall plot flaw

i have yet to name this enemy army hahaha

i dunno why i didnt

guess i really am not that creative

and i really dont know this series as well as i should to be clever enough to think of one

hopefully you dont mind

i apologize

Amy


	10. Tragic Past

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**Chapter 10: Tragic Past**

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The muffled conversations stopped as Anderson walked into the tent. The general shot a stern look as he found his way to his seat. With raised eyebrows he spoke to the Sergeant, "Why Sergeant Anderson I see you have finally graced us with your presence."

Anderson smirked playing his cards just right, "Yes I decided it was time I find out why we have been ordered to halt the offensive lines."

With an irritated look the General decided to indulge him, " Obviously with King Bradley in his state we have decided that taking the offensive is a little too risky at this point." Annoyed he continued on, "But now onto more important matters, it would appear that the attempt on King Bradley's life just doesn't add up. To put it in rather simple language only the men in this room knew of his whereabouts, thus I can only conclude that we have a rat amongst us." His eyes flashed maliciously. A wave of shock spread around the table followed by frantic whispering. The General stood up and slammed his fists down on the table, "QUIET!" Slowly taking his seat once again he returned to his evil calm as he let his eyes wander around finding each mans face. "As you can see this cannot go on, the traitor amongst us has only one form of redemption. Expose yourself now and we will let you leave in disgrace, but unharmed."

The silence was deafening as each man craned their neck to look at each other in determination to find this so called mole.

Anderson kept his cool; he had been prepared for something like this. He had not left any traces back to him; he knew that he was safe.

With a swift move the general pulled out his gun and with one shot the man sitting next to Anderson let out a whimper before he slumped over in his own pool of blood. Anderson's eyes darted over to where the general sat his face hidden in shadow. "I will not tolerate traitors, and I certainly will not tolerate cowards." A smile played over his lips, "My apologies I did not wish to waste your time. Now as I was saying earlier before Sergeant Anderson decided to interrupt, our losses have been great. We are not prepared to keep our defense for a long period of time. Thus once King Bradley has given the go ahead we will precede to Rush Valley."

Anderson turned his head as Major Allen spoke up, "But General what do you hope to gain from taking over that city? It is nothing but civilians; there are no military compounds there."

The general glared at the Major, "Major you will do well to hold your tongue, and as I've said before it's the same as here in South City. We will destroy them on every level; in order to ensure victory we must demolish all of their suppliers. It has come to my knowledge that the many auto mail shops there have been equipping their soldiers and assisting in the production of weapons."

The major hung his head, "Please pardon my outburst General."

The general waved his hand with an heir of arrogance, "It is getting late, we will dispatch your orders tomorrow morning." The men saluted the General as he walked out of the tent.

'Shit.' Anderson walked back to his personal quarters he needed to rethink his strategy. They had played right into his trap by killing the captain he had framed. He felt his hands start to shake violently. He jammed them into his pockets afraid someone might see his weakness.

Winry awoke to find the Anderson man sitting but a few inches from her side. Catching her instant fear he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. "Please don't scream I do not want to attract any unnecessary attention to you." She nodded her head in a silent agreement. He slowly took his hand away.

She stared at him her face filled with anger, "How can you live with yourself. How can you act so normal after killing all those innocent people?" her voice had been reduced to a whimper.

His face disgraced him as a tear trickled down his cheek, "I have asked myself that question ever since that day…."

Winry was taken aback by his sudden display of emotion, "What, what are you talking about?"

He looked sadly at her and let out a sigh, "I know I will never be forgiven for the sins I have committed, but I will not die until I have sought my revenge."

Confusion spread across her face as she tried to understand what he was talking about.

He slowly put his hand in his jacket pocket, Winry flinched in fear. He put a hand on her shoulder to calm her as he pulled out a picture with the other.

Winry stared at the picture, there was Anderson his arms wrapped around a beautiful young woman who was cradling a baby. Smiling up from the bottom of the picture were two beautiful twin girls. Winry felt her heart throb in her chest; she had pictures like this with Ed, Al, her mom and dad.

Anderson's face contorted as he turned away from her, "My family paid the ultimate price. I failed to protect them, the most important thing in the world to me and I couldn't save them."

Winry stared at this man sure that what he was saying was the truth; you couldn't fake the pain that resided behind his shadowed eyes. Curiosity overwhelmed her as she questioned him, "What happened to your family?"

He took a deep breath before continuing. "You see this army is a lot different that yours. This army if full of the most vile of human beings, after all it was created by Bradley. He managed to attract people who wanted power and whose greed willed them to get it by any means. In order to make his army a force to be reckoned with Bradley was able to manipulate his powers as Fuhrer to get the nations scientist to create deadly chemicals that would wipe out an entire city in seconds. It was by his orders that they decided to test it out in my town." Winry listened intently as his breathing started to come out in hard gasps. "I woke up one morning feeling a bit strange. When my wife didn't come down after a couple of hours I tried to wake her, but she was so cold…so cold." His voice chocked out a sob, "Our baby, she never had a chance. And our two little girls…it was wrong, they shouldn't be that pale." Winry watched as his body wretched with unshed tears and pain. After a few minutes he slowly started to calm down. Winry shivered as the feeling of pain was replaced by a wave of great anger, "I will make him pay for what he did to my family."

Winry shook her head, "I am sorry to hear about your family; however how is it that you survived? And since they did that to your family how could you ever join forces with them? None of it makes any sense."

Anderson looked at her sadness once again filling his eyes, "I was recruited by the Fuhrer a week before the incident, and it was then that he had slipped me the antidote. I was part of the test. I survived so the test was a success. However once the scientists found out that he had actually tested the poison gas they destroyed all of their work so that no one could ever replicate it. He had them killed right on the spot. I knew from that moment on that in order to seek my revenge I had to get close to him to not only prevent this from happening to anyone else, but to have the opportunity to kill him myself." He put his head in his hands, "However things have taken a turn for the worst. I did not anticipate the kind of support he would receive. As of right now if I were to just kill him someone would just take his place and continue right where he left off. In order to stop this from happening to someone else I must put my revenge aside and work to help take down his army first." His gaze settled itself on the girl's innocent blue eyes, "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, but I cannot do this alone. I never planned on using you, but right now you are the only one I can trust and therefore you are my strongest ally."

Winry stared blankly at him before finding her words, "I believe that you were a good man once; and for the sake of ending this war I will help you. However do not believe for a second that I have forgiven you for ordering that mans death back there or the hundreds of others you have killed."

Anderson nodded his head, "I expected as much."

"Yet there is still one thing I don't understand. Just how do you know so much about me?"

He silently stood up and turned his back to her, "Well the truth is I knew your parents very well."

A wave of shock fell over her as she stared at this man, "You're lying."

Turning slowly to face her he shook his head, "I am not lying, you know they spoke so highly of you. They also spoke of the two Elric brothers who were always playing for your heart." His smile fell short as he started to speak again, "I cut off all contact with them once my family was murdered. How could I face them and tell them that I had failed to protect my family? However once I found out about your parent's death I couldn't help but remember the little girl they had loved so dearly. I deeply regret not going to see them, your parents were the most honorable people I have ever met. About a year ago I head the stories of a Dr. Rockbell. I wasn't surprised to find out it was their daughter, that it was you. However I do not wish to speak of the tragedies of our pasts. What we need to focus on is the future. It has been brought up at our meeting that the next target is in fact Rush Valley." Winry stared at him fear etched in her face. "I realize the issue at hand and that is why I need you to be brave. You must sneak out of here and notify the army. If you can make it in time you can get the army to defend the city."

The atmosphere of the room was tense as the gravity of the situation slowly started to seep in.

"I'll do it, I will not fail."

* * *

I added characters of my own

haha its ok you can laugh at them

Hey thanks for the reviews

You all are very generous

Amy


	11. Close Call

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**Chapter 11: Close Call**

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Winry made her way into the darkness, her body raced through the night. There was no room for mistakes; if she was caught it would only be a matter of time before they found out everything. They would see Anderson's betrayal and her warning message would be lost. Darting quickly through the forest Winry pulled her black hood farther down. Fear gripped at her heart, if her blond hair got out it would reflect the moonlight making her a dead giveaway.

It had been a huge relief that she had even made it out of the base without being noticed. The guards on duty with a little persuasion from Anderson had overindulged themselves drinking just enough alcohol to lull them into a dreamlike state. They were slouched against a couple of trees their guns lay forgotten. Moving at the right moment Winry had been able to find shelter amongst the trees. Now the true problem was how to navigate in the dark. Winry had never considered herself good with directions, but she had to make it to Rush Valley. A pain struck her heart as she thought of them again. Times had changed so much. Back in the day she was always worrying on the sidelines, there was never any real pressure on her to do something great. Yet here she was running through a dark forest, the lives of all who lived in Rush Valley in here hands.

With a snap she felt her foot catch a tree root sending her body slamming to the ground below. Winry's mouth gaped open as the impact knocked the wind out of her. Her lungs screamed for air as she gasped for breath. With a deep gasp she felt relief flood her body as her lungs finally opened. Her body started to tremble as she noticed the deep cut that made its way all the way across her leg. Feeling a little faint at the sight of her own blood she just stared at it.

The sound of low voices brought her crashing back to reality as she realized someone was following her. Scrambling up Winry ripped off part of the jacket sleeve and wrapped it around the wounded area of her leg and set off again. Holding her hood tightly over her head she tried to run faster, but every step sent shooting pain through her nerves.

It felt as if she had been running for hours, yet she knew they were gaining on her. 'Why aren't they giving up?' Her heart raced faster and faster as the voices grew louder and louder. The thumping of their footsteps through the leaves echoed through her head, serving as a reminder of what she was running from. Her body began to shake as not only the pain of her injury but her fear settled in. Looking ahead she was able to make out a clearing which posed a very serious problem. Once she was out into the open she would be closer to her destination, however it would expose her to the enemy that was vigilantly following her every move. Risking a glance behind her Winry's worst fears were confirmed as her eyes caught the gleam of the guns on each of them. Her conscious asked the question her heart had been trying to block out, 'How much closer do they need to be before they shoot?'

A wolf whistle made her stomach turn with revulsion.

"Come on pretty lady, we know you're hurt. Just stop running, we wont hurt you." The mans voice held an evil luster that carried its way through the air.

With one last burst of speed she made her way into the clearing. She could hear their curses follow her. Frantically examining the area she noticed a pretty steep drop-off about 8 meters away, if she could only make it that far then she might be able to lose them. Almost reading her mind she heard the first warning shots ring through the air. A whimper escaped her throat; a weaker person would have given up by now. Giving up however was not a word that she knew, too many were counting on her. A few more shots whizzed by her, one catching part of her hood shredding it to pieces. There was no turning back, she started to plead with her body to go faster, 'Come on…please…just a little bit more.' The suspense lurked all around her as she knew her luck was running out, 'Please…please…I can't fail, not now.' Her body ached as she strained to make it through the remaining area.

Just as she threw herself over the drop-off a searing pain caught her shoulder causing her to tumble recklessly down the embankment. With her remaining strength she gripped her shoulder and forced her body to crawl into hiding. The adrenaline pumping through her veins she let out a cry of relief as she noticed the street lights of Rush Valley burning in the distance.

'Shit', this girl was proving to be more of a nuisance then he had originally thought. Finally one of their shots managed to snag her hood. With a triumphant grin he watched as the girl finally fell out of sight, he had hit her. Slowing to a walk they set out to find her, their orders were to bring back a body.

Al looked out the window at the deserted streets, it was eerily quiet. The sound of snoring nearby made him shake his head with an exasperated laugh. Ed lay in his bed the covers astray with his mouth hanging wide open. Al didn't blame him for passing out early; he knew his brother had been up all night thinking about her. Mustang had arrived the day before revealing that Winry had been taken captive. He had tried to assure them that because of her medical abilities that the odds of them hurting her were little to none, but that did little to ease their minds. Feeling his eyelids start to droop he made his way over to the bed when suddenly his body froze. 'Gunshots?'

Al strained to see where it was coming from. A feeling of uneasiness crept over him as he heard it again. Grabbing his jacket he pulled it on and turned to the door. It wasn't until he heard a rustle behind him that he realized the snoring had stopped; turning around Al found himself face to face with his brother. Cringing slightly he looked away from Ed; he knew that his brother wouldn't let him go. Ever since he had been returned to his body Ed had been very protective. Al had a feeling that he still blamed himself for all of their pain and sorrow thus he always sacrificed himself. It was Ed who had refused to let Al join the military.

Going with his gut feeling he finally blurted it out, "I'm going Ed."

Ed nodded, "I know Al, I wasn't going to stop you… I was going to join you." With a mutual understanding the two brothers set off in the direction of the gunshots.

Getting closer to where they last heard the sound of gunfire Ed saw three enemy soldiers scouting the area. Preparing to sprint after them Ed gasped as he heard the sound of a quiet whimper. Looking down Ed felt a rush of emotions hit him all at once, there laying half hidden in some brush was Winry her eyes closed. His body shaking with relief Ed pulled her into his arms. Feeling a warm liquid on his hands he stifled a gasp as he realized it was her blood. Rage filled his body as he looked at her closed eyes and found fresh tears still on her face.

Ed stood out of sight with his eyes glued to the three men. Signaling to Al to take on the man to his right he jerked his head to the two on his left to confirm his path. Nodding slowly Al gulped and focused his eyes to the man to his right. Ed counted on his fingers to three before they jumped out of hiding and took aim at the men. Two shots were fired, then three, and four. Ed watched as the two men he had targeted fell to ground. He had only fired twice, Al should have only fired once. Panic started to rise up in him as he turned to look for his brother. Eds heart raced as he lost all inhibitions as to his situation, "AL! Al, where are you!" There was no response. "Dammit...AL!"

Suddenly he noticed a man walking in his direction. Pointing his gun point blank with a feeling of dred at who it was he pulled the trigger. Al's stunned face suddenly came into the light. Ed stood in shock, "Al?? Oh god Al what have I done??"

Al moved his hand to his chest and looked back up at his brother. Something was definitly wrong. Al's face flooded with relief, "Brother your all out of ammo."

Ed nearly fainted as he realized that he didn't shoot his brother. His face hidden by a shadow he cursed himself as the tears rolled down his cheeks. "I almost...I almost..." Al pulled him into a hug.

"Brother its OK I got that soldier, we're OK now."

Still in shock Ed just stood there until finally he snapped out of his daze, "Oh no Winry!"

Granny who always had a tough exterior stood shocked at the sight that was presented before her. There was Ed standing in the doorway, Winrys body clutched in his arms. Her mind flashed back to the day when a suit of armor with Al's voice had carried Ed in just like that. Al looked desperately at her, "Call doctor Marcoh!"

Pinako smiled as she went to walk into Winrys room only to find Ed already there holding her hand. She had guessed that something had finally happened between them once Ed had returned from the war. It had always been there, but this time it seemed to radiate from him. Not feeling guilty about spying she tried to listen to what he was saying to her.

"Win…I heard about everything that you did." Ed smiled as he looked into her face. "You're a lot stronger than I am, while on the front line I gave up. Yet here you are, you escaped an entire army." He stooped slowly over her letting his lips kiss her forehead.

Opening her eyes Winry smiled as she felt a familiar hand resting in hers, she let herself day dream a little about Ed before she realized it wasn't a dream. The full meaning of it all came crashing down as the words came tumbling out of her mouth, "Ed, they're going to bomb Rush Valley!"

* * *

Phew there you have it ch. 11

now just for laughs i have a joke

Its kind of dirty so if u don't want to read it

don't read past this point

What has 90 balls and screws little old ladies?

Bingo

hahaha

Amy


	12. The Hardest Part

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**Chapter 12: The Hardest Part**

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There was something about the way she said those words that made Ed fear what was to come. It wasn't until Winry let out a cry of pain as she clutched her shoulder that Ed realized that the medicine must have worn off. She tried to pull her hand away from Eds. "Ed please you must warn the military, we don't have much time." She began to faint from the pain that was coming from her leg and her shoulder. Closing her eyes she let out a shuddering breath as the pain engulfed her nervous system. A feverish burn was making her dizzy. As a doctor she knew that this was the worst. She bit her lip as she struggled to stay conscious.

Ed squeezed her hand not letting go, "No I won't leave your side…Win please, you're hurt."

She felt ashamed of herself, 'why am I so weak?' Clenching her jaw she turned to Ed once again, "Ed…please…go. I don't want to see more people die."

Submitting to her cries Ed stood up and walked from the room.

Part of Winry wanted to scream after him, tell him not to leave her. The other part hated that she would even consider being so selfish. As his figure disappeared through the door she let the heat take her over as she slowly fell back into the darkness of sleep.

Ed stood outside her door the tears welling up in his eyes as he looked back to see that she had finally submitted to the pain. Her eyes were closed; her blonde hair lay perfectly around her. Taking a deep breath he did the one thing he had promised himself he would never do again, he walked away from her. Each step downstairs reminded him of what he was leaving, Pinako suddenly appeared and grabbed his arm before he could reach the front door.

"Edward what has happened?" Her gaze was unyielding.

Ed turned back to her the tears in his eyes, "It's as I thought she figured out where they are going to strike next." He knew he was doing the right thing but every inch of his heart was screaming at him to go back to her.

Pinako spoke softly, "You love her don't you."

Ed looked up at her; he should have realized that this woman could see right through him. He nodded his head, "I always have."

She smiled a sad smile, "Then go."

Ed just stared at her, 'what was she talking about? Just leave, how could he just leave her especially in her fragile state.'

"You will go, because she risked her life to save this town. She will always put her life on the line for the people she loves. So you must go and tell them so that all of that pain of hers will not be for nothing. Al and I will look after her."

Ed nodded and slowly walked out of the house.

Al sat and listened to Dr. Marcoh as he looked over Winry.

"Well the poor thing has lost a lot of blood, but because she bandaged her leg right away she saved her own life. Although she does feel a little warm." He took out his thermometer and after awhile he stood there examining it. With a sigh he checked it again.

Al looked at her pale face fearing the worst.

Dr. Marcoh noticed this and continued, "Her body is worn out Alphonse. As soon as she begins to eat properly and get some rest she will improve greatly."

Dr. Marcoh left the room stopping on his way out to shake Pinako's hand. "Call me if her condition changes."

Even though he had whispered these words Al heard every one of them. Turning to the old lady Al narrowed his eyes, "What does he mean if her condition changes?"

She looked sadly at her granddaughter and then at Al, "The cut on her leg was infected. Shes running a steady fever, however it could easily change."

"What do you mean; do you really think her fever will continue to rise?"

Pinako just stared ahead, "Well if it does…she will die."

Granny placed a cool cloth on Winry's forehead. Beginning to stir in her sleep, Winry started to murmur, "Edward…Edward come back…come back…please…please come back." Pinako glanced over at Al, they had always known the kind of bond that Winry and Ed had.

Anderson stood before King Bradley his face void of any emotion. Silently he prayed that he hadn't sent that girl to her death. He would never forgive himself for letting his family die, but if she wasn't able to deliver the message all would be lost. Any atonement he had hoped to gain by saving her and Rush Valley would be crushed. Bradley sat there his bandages covered by his uniform.

Finally Bradley broke the silence, "Sergeant Anderson do you know why I have called you here?"

Of course he knew he had let the girl escape. Not only that but he had been plotting against them from the start. Looking him dead in the eye he spoke clearly, "Sir no sir."

Bradley raised an eyebrow as he stared into his eyes, "Well were you not the one who found that doctor who saved my life?"

A feeling of emense relief flooded his body as he nodded his head.

"Ahh I think her name was Rockbell, Winry Rockbell." He smiled as he spoke her name, "Actually come to think of it I believe I met her parents, they were also great doctors. What a shame they never saw their daughter grow up."

Anderson fought with himself to keep cool, he knew this was going to happen. Bradley was going to toy with him to try to get him to lose his composure.

"Now what is this I hear about the girl escaping from our control? It's funny; I thought she was with you." He winked at Anderson his last words hinting towards a more intimate realtionship between the two. "Isn't she a little young for you...what would her parents think? Better yet what would your late wife think?"

He had to bite his tongue before he spoke, "I did have her escorted to my tent; however it seems that she managed to sneak off while I was sleeping."

King Bradley laughed for a moment before his eyes lit up with malice, "You IDIOT. You screw around with some doctor and then let her escape!? I have no use for people who make mistakes." A shot rang through the air. Anderson felt the blood pour out of his chest before he fell to the ground. Bradley spoke loudly, "Because of you their army got wind of our plan of attack on Rush Valley as their troops have added reinforcements. You have dishonored this army and yourself." He spit at him before walking away.

With one last breath of air Anderson smiled, she had made it. His eyes began to close as the smile lingered on his face; he was going to see his family again.

Meanwhile the phone rang through the Rockbell house, but no one answered. Frustrated Ed hung up, he had been calling several times but no one was answering. A feeling of dread rose up in his stomach; it wasn't like Granny to not answer the phone. The train came to a halt behind him its whistle echoing through the station. Mustang bid him farewell thanking him for the information, but Ed was barely paying attention. As the train headed off for Rush Valley Ed sat in silence, something was wrong.

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Poor Anderson he lasted only a few chapters

sorry man

Amy


	13. Into the Dark

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Chapter 13: Into the Dark

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Bradley laughed at his army's inferior intellect. "Well as luck would have it, this twist in events is to our advantage."

His soldiers gazed him in utter confusion. The general finally spoke a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. "King Bradley how can this work to our benefit, if I am not mistaken they have assembled a force that is double ours."

Bradley's smile broke as he stared into the general's face, "You're forgetting something. I do not need numbers to bring down their army." Realizing that they would not catch on he spoke once more. "Don't you remember those chemical tests we did?"

A pool of nervousness was threatening to take over the longer the General listened to him. Even the idea of questioning Bradley was bad enough, yet here he was about to voice his concerns. All of this was putting him on very thin ice. "I was under the impression that those scientists destroyed their work."

Bradley let a smirk cross his face, "Do you really think that that would stop me? I have had new recruits working on it for some time. Now not only can we take out that city but their army has been so kind as to send in reinforcements. Simply put we are at the final turn in this war. We will be in a position to turn the tables by taking down some of their suppliers and a good portion of their troops. Oh and one more thing before we depart. I am under the impression that that young doctor who so kindly saved my life is in that city. You know I really do owe her my life I suppose I should return the favor."

The generals face darkened, "But sir surely you will not let her live, especially after she warned the city."

King Bradley looked sickly as his face darkened, "I want her to live so that she can watch as the people she tried to save die one by one. My orders are simple; failure to follow them will result in death. Find Winry Rockbell and bring her to me."

The special teams sat geared up outside the city limits. Each soldier wore the special mask and was assigned to a section of the city. Once everyone was suited they began to disperse around the city, it would be only a matter of time before the army caught on. If they didn't set off the gas bombs right away they would be outnumbered and ill equipped to fight back. The general growled out his orders directing the men to their places. With a final glance at the city the general made his way over to Bradley. "King Bradley we are all set."

"Right, I suppose its time."

Al and Pinako took turns watching over Winry. Her body lay tangled up in the sheets as she struggled against her fever. Al couldn't watch as she winced in pain, her wounds still etched on her body. Finally her eyes started to open.

"WINRY!" Al grabbed her in bear hug, completely oblivious to her wounds. With a sharp intake of breath she pulled away from him. Al's face filled with fear, "Oh no Winry I'm sorry!"

She smiled weakly at him, "No worries."

Taking her temperature Pinako's lips curled up into a grin, "Aha looks like your fever is breaking, this is very good news."

Now that the worst was over Al made his way downstairs dropping into the nearest chair he let out a sigh of relief. He hated seeing people in pain.

Winry sat up in bed staring out the window; their army had shown up hours ago and had set out patrolling the city. But Ed still had not returned.

The front door slammed shut downstairs making her jump. Gripping her shoulder she cursed herself for jumping in surprise. She waited to hear his voice, surely Ed had returned.

Al heard someone break through the front door, thinking quickly he turned to Pinako. "Go hide with Winry I will stall them."

With a speed unlike a lady of her age she was gone before three men entered the room with guns. Al cringed when he realized that he had no way of defending himself. The man who must have been in charge walked ahead of the others and looked around the room, "Now this can go very easy boy, point me to the girl and we will leave you unharmed…for now that is."  
Stunned at their request Al didn't think before the words slipped out of his mouth, "What do you want with Winry?"

The general smiled, "Ah so she is here."

Al dropped his head in shame; he had fallen into their trap. Before Al had time to react the General hit him swiftly knocking him unconscious onto the floor.

"There is no need to waste our ammo on this boy; no one will make it out of this city alive." The general directed his men up the stairs.

Winry sat with her grandma in her closet; the tears were falling down her face when she heard not one set of footsteps enter her room but three. With her injuries and her grandmother's age they didn't have time to escape. The phone in her room started to ring. Pinako looked up in surprise her face slowly narrowing, why didn't they call for help. One of the soldiers threw open the closet door revealing a young girl huddled next to an elderly lady. The old lady stood up quickly, "You touch this girl and your dead."

The general let his cocky laugh ring out, "Oh really?" he took one arm and slammed her to the wall.

Winry tried to rush to her grandmother's aid but her injuries held her in place.

"Grab the girl; we have already wasted too much time on this matter." Turning to leave, the general fell face first to the floor. With a grunt he turned to see the old lady had grabbed his leg. His face flushed with anger he grabbed his gun. Winry's screams mixed with the sound of a gunshot.

Ed rushed back to the Rockbell shop. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw a group of soldiers gathered outside the shop, they were safe. General Armstrong stood outside the shop his head hung low talking to Al who had his head in his hands. Ed froze when he noticed the men carrying a stretcher out of the house; racing over to Al he caught sight of Pinako's body on the stretcher before they drew the sheet over her head. Dropping to his knees Ed's mind raced with the hundreds of lifeless faces he had met in this war. A wave of anger engulfed his body as he clenched his fists tightly to his sides. "So they have finally arrived."

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I love all of you who reviewed you are so sweet!

Amy


	14. Chemical Reaction

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**Chapter 14: Chemical Reaction**

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Winry found herself unable to think, feel, or even register the past couple of hours. Her grandmother had given her life to save her and for what? She sat tied to a chair waiting for something; whether it was her ultimate death she couldn't be sure. Her wounds still cut deep, but she felt no pain. The ability to adapt had been a key trait that allowed her to work as a medic in the army however the loss of her grandmother had torn her heart. A sick thought traveled through her head, what about Al? She knew instantly as she had seen it with her own eyes that her grandmother was gone, but she had no idea what had become of Al. She never heard a gunshot but she was positive Al would not have let them pass; the only possible explanation was that they had done something to him. It was this waiting that caused her mind to formulate horrible scenarios and theories in her head. It was then that whatever it was she was waiting for walked into the room.

Bradley strode in followed by two of his guards, "Ah my dear I see you have been injured. I wonder, was it by my soldiers hands? Ah I remember now you must have gotten these when you were running away. Silly girl were you under the impression that you could escape us so easily?"

Winry pressed her lips together tightly remaining stubbornly silent. She would not talk to this tyrant.

Seeing her disposition to him he maneuvered himself so that his face was inches from hers. "Oh my, it seems I have upset you. I was rather hoping that you would be grateful to me, after all I have just saved your life."

Curiosity and anger got the best of her after a few moments. She decided to speak, "You saved _my_ life? I'm assuming you did this out of the kindness of your heart?" She spat out that last word because she questioned if he even had one.

His face was unreadable as he kept his words monotone. "Well you see my dear after your slip of the tongue the city has added reinforcements. We are just not prepared for this hand to hand combat. But you see I have never really been all about brute strength, instead I have learned to count on my own brilliance and the powers that the mind holds. You see in about a half hour my soldiers will unleash a deadly chemical gas throughout the city. They will have about 5 minutes to live from the moment they breathe it in."

Winry just stared at him thinking about Anderson's family.

Bradley continued to look at her amusement playing in his eyes. "Aww I see you were trying to be a hero right? You were being a hero when you risked your life on the front lines and then again when you escaped our clutches to deliver that message. You're not as smart as I thought you were." There was brief pause before his body tensed and he started to scream, "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HEREOS! Its everyman for themselves, any fool who thinks they can save someone else is sadly mistaken. If I am correct you have witnessed this numerous times."

Winry looked defiantly at him.

"Hmm still don't believe me, well let me remind you then. Remember that man who you saved and then later he was killed in an attempt to save you? And now you will sit here as all those people you tried to save die. I wonder if after all this you will still believe there is such a thing as a hero."

Her face was wet with tears as she struggled to forget all of those deaths, "I have done everything in my power to help stop the pain of this war. You see I cannot imagine how a person like you can find the strength to live knowing what you have done."

With a smirk King Bradley walked back over to the door, "I hear that the man you love is in the city…now I do have some humanity left in me. You will stay here until the damage is done, then I will release you so you can see firsthand that people can't be saved. There is no power in love." For a brief moment Bradley seemed like he was lost in thought then as if something was eating away at him he spoke again, "All love does is bring about pain and suffering. I am releasing these people from their own stupidity."

Before he could leave Winry stopped him with her words, "Love doesn't cause pain, you feel pain from jealousy and death but not love. Pure love can heal any wound and has the most beautiful power, the power to heal ones heart. It is you who I feel sorry for, you that cannot love."

Her words seemed to have hit their mark as Bradley stood stunned for several moments. One of the guards cleared his throat loudly before he was able to snap out of it. He glared at her one last time before leaving the room.

"General Armstrong there is no news from the line."

Armstrong shook his head, "They're too quiet, it's the eye of the storm gentlemen."

Ed and Al sat next to each other for awhile each ignoring the other. Al shifted nervously before he found his words, "Brother…I'm sorry." His voice cracked a little.

Confusion etched on his face Ed just stared at him, "Why are you sorry, none of this is your fault. You know that right?"

Al put his head back into his hands, "It is my fault! I couldn't stop those men and now Granny is…she is…and Winry could be…"

Ed grabbed his little brothers shoulders and shook him roughly, "Snap out of it Al! I told you none of this was your fault, now drop it."

Yet there was something else to be said. "Fight with me Al. Join the army with me and we will end this together."

Al stared at him disbelief crossing his face, "But brother you said..."

"Yeah I know what I said. I was trying to protect you, but…well I need your help Al."

Al nodded his head solemnly. "I understand."

A voice came from behind them.

"Why is everyone standing around? We need to act and we need to act now. There appears to be several enemy scouts all around the city." Mustang looked from Ed to General Armstrong who had walked over.

"Brigadier Mustang I didn't see you there. You say your men have found enemy scouts around the city? I was under the impression they would be launching a frontal attack."

Mustang shook his head, "We need to take out these scouts immediately. The group that I encountered had chemical weapons on them. If this is the same for all of them this city could be taken down in a matter of seconds." His voice seemed to falter, "We are out of time…I have a feeling that we have fallen into a trap."

There was a moment of silence before he turned to the Elric brothers. "Now Ed the men I encountered reported to me that the young Ms. Rockbell is under the surveillance of King Bradley himself. We were also able to determine the whereabouts of their base. So obviously your mission is simple if you chose to take it; which I have no doubt that you will."

Ed looked at him with conviction in his eyes, "You know me all too well."

"Take down Bradley; leave the enemy scouts to us. I fear we are out of time, but we are still unsure of their plans so as of right now we will be to destroy these chemical bombs of theirs."

Ed saluted both the general and Mustang before both he and Al set off for the enemy's base.

"Why are we waiting to attack?"

The general's face narrowed with disdain, "Be patient, the Kings orders are to wait until Mustang arrives on the scene. I will radio each squadron when the time is right."

Bradley's voice rang out over their radios, "He has arrived, fire at will."

For the first time ever Riza had disobeyed Roy. She made her way after him towards Rush Valley. He had ordered her to stay, but the way in which he had spoken to her was unlike him. There had been a note of hopelessness that she had never heard before. His words came out as if they would be his last. She sped off in the military jeep desperate to arrive before something bad happened. A small voice in the back of her mind spoke softly, 'Its war of course something bad will happen. He could already be dead and you are throwing away your life for nothing.' A more determined voice clouded it out. 'Fight by his side, die knowing that you did all that you could."

Arriving at the city limits Riza felt slightly faint from the air surrounding the city. It wasn't until she noticed the bodies littering the ground that she threw her jacket over her face. Shaking slightly she made her way over to the nearest body and grabbed his wrist. She blinked several times before running over to the other bodies and checking their pulses. Breathing heavily she dropped to her knees, 'What was going on?' Every single one of them should be dead.

Ed and Al started to make their way to the base when a loud boom echoed through the air followed by a large cloud of smoke. Ed tried not to breathe it in but he knew it was too late as the sky blurred and the ground swayed below his feet. Shock consumed his senses as the world splashed in and out of his vision. He watched as Al slumped over next to him. One last though rang through his head, 'I have failed.'

"It is done."  
"Ah I see, well done. Now have you brought the man I was looking for?"

"Yes sir we threw his body into the room you asked us to."

"Very well, prepare the men to leave immediately. We will set out for Central."

Bradley let an evil smile cross his face, "Take the girl to the room and leave her. We have no further business in this place."

Winry struggled against the soldiers who dragged her down the hallway. Finally with a strong push they sent her flying into a darkened room. Her shoulder was the first part of her body to hit the ground. Pain jumped through her veins as she struggled to get out of the ropes that bound her wrists. One of the soldiers walked briskly over to her and bent down. Closing her eyes she braced herself, only the tension around wrists released. Stunned she cracked open her eyes and watched as they took off the ropes and turned on the light. Before she could say anything they walked out. It was then that she saw it, a soldier's body lying in the corner. Struggling to her feet she made her way over to it. Her body started to shake as she recognized the familiar blond ponytail. Steadying herself she gently turned the body over instantly revealing Edwards face. A scream left her throat as she stumbled backwards. Once the shock left her she slowly put her head on his chest and let the tears come. Her eyes widened, it was faint…but it was still there. Sitting up straight she grabbed his wrist, instantly she felt his pulse.

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Sorry to go back and forth from scene to scene

I dunno I just wanted u to get the full picture I see

hahaha ok ill admit it

this one is confusing

but the next chapter will explain what happened

be patient

Thanks for reading

Oh and one more note

I am surprised anyone likes this story

after reading other works on here

I see that I am out of my league

so thank you for your kind words you guys are great

Amy


	15. Deep Sleep

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**Chapter 15: Deep Sleep**

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What was going on? The gas should have killed him yet she could clearly feel his heartbeat beneath her fingertips. Checking his vitals she gazed upon his face, he was out cold. Trying to piece together everything she strained to think of what Bradley had told her. He had emphasized that the chemicals in the gas would kill a person in a matter of minutes. So what was going on? Perhaps Ed was just immune to it. Anderson's words which had found a place in the back of her mind suddenly surfaced. He was given an antidote, but how could Ed have known about that? She had never told him Anderson's story. She needed to find out if others had survived. Adrenaline numbing the pain in her shoulder she pulled Ed over so that he was laying on his back. She hovered over him debating what to do next. She couldn't just leave him there, but she needed to find out what was going on. Carrying him was not an option. Frustrated she tried to wake him by shaking his body. A groan escaped his lips as his eyelids began to flutter. Doing the only thing that seemed logical Winry followed her heart and pressed her lips to his. As a doctor this was useless, but she couldn't hold it back.

Ed felt the ground shift as someone softly shook him, their voice echoing through his head. He groaned as a wave of grogginess swept over his body and then it hit him. Chills flew up his spin as he felt a pair of lips on his. Slowly opening his eyes he saw her. A wave of panic flew through him as he asked the first question that popped into his head, "Did I die?"

Winry stared dumbfounded into his curious eyes. It wasn't his question that had her at a loss for words; it was the look in his eyes that radiated a sense of longing that took her breath away.

"No…you're not dead Ed." She pulled his hand up to her heart. "If you were dead would you be able to feel this?"

Ed sat next to her trying to figure out what it was about this girl that could make him block out everything else.

"Ed I don't know if anyone else survived their attack." Her voiced hitched on the last word the emotion ready to spill out. "I can't figure it out; you seemed to have just been put to sleep. It doesn't seem to have done any damage to your body." She averted his eyes as she continued on, "You could be the exception, but there is a chance that everyone was affected the same as you. I can't be sure but if that's the case then we have just barely dodged their bullet. Oh Ed this is all my fault, I tried to save this city but all I've done is put them in greater danger."

The truth of the guilt she felt poured from her soul as she stared helplessly at him.

"Your wrong…you risked your life for the people of this town. You did everything in your power and there you should feel no guilt or regret."

He brought her sobbing face against his heart, "Winry, you're my best friend." His thoughts were on only one thing, and as selfish as he knew he was being he needed to finally say it. "But you're more than that to me."

Everything told him that this was the worst possible time and place, but he wasn't so sure he would ever get another chance. He grabbed her hands in his, "Winry…you're the one."

Winry stared at him her heart racing.

"I love you Win…I love everything about you. I'm sorry I have failed you so badly."

Winry tried to interrupt him. "No Win please, just listen. I left you so many times and you always waited for me. There was a time when I thought that you were dead…and I couldn't do it anymore. I can't stand the thought of losing you, but nothing is certain in this world. So I have only one question for you because if there's one thing I am certain of, it's that I love you."

Ed felt it in his pocket; Granny had given him it before he had left. He feared there wasn't going to be a better time to do it. Still holding onto her hand he moved so that he was on one knee.

Winry's mouth gaped open as Ed pulled out her grandmother's ring.

"We have been through it all haven't we?" His face split into a sad grin, "There was never a moment that I didn't stop loving you. I have no doubts that you have saved me…in every possible way. Winry all I want to do is spend the rest of my life loving you. Will you marry me?"

Winry sat in a daze his words echoing through her heart. "Ed…are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

It was then that he saw that he had finally fulfilled his promise to her from so long ago. She was finally crying those tears of happiness he had promised her as she threw herself into his embrace. "Yes."

Their euphoria quickly dispersed as footsteps could be heard in the hallway. Stiffening in fear Winry stayed in his arms. The door flew open followed by three distinct voices.

Mustang, Hawkeye and Havoc walked in their guns at bay. Relief flooded their faces as they recognized the couple sitting huddled on the floor.

With the help of Ed Winry stood up her face flooded with astonishment. "How is this possible?"

Riza glanced from her to Ed the corners of her mouth going up before she continued in a more serious manner. "I don't know what their playing at, but it would seem that the chemical in their gas bombs had no long term effects. It just put anyone who breathed it in into a deep sleep."

"There's no way Bradley would have just put the city to sleep, he was out for blood. Perhaps they have another traitor amongst them?"

Mustang shook his head, "Well whatever the case is we need to get back to Central immediately." He glanced at Winry, "Will you be able to stay here and make sure everyone is alright?"

Winry nodded her head, "Of course." But for some reason she felt like she was forgetting something. "Oh god, what happened to Al?" she looked desperately at Ed who turned frantically to Mustang and the others.

Riza was the first to answer avoided their eyes slightly, "I'm sorry we didn't see Al on our way here."

Winry grabbed his hand automatically, "Ed I'm sure he's just fine."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Al woke up rubbing his eyes he half forgot that he was laying in the middle of the woods. His eyes adjusted to the dimly lit foresest as he looked for Ed, "Brother…brother where are you?"

The sounds of crunching leaves and broken twigs started to approach him. Seeking refuge in some brush Al watched as the enemy's men marched through oblivious to their watcher. Listening closely Al's ears perked up when he heard her name.

"Yeah that Rockbell girl is probably sobbing her eyes out; Bradley actually wanted us to leave her boyfriends dead body in her room. I don't know why he wastes his time with these sick escapades. We should be focusing our attention on seizing control of Central."

Al heard the words the soldier was saying as his face paled. After awhile when they seemed to be long gone he went to move out of his hiding place when a pair of voices started to descend across the forest.

"We will encircle the city cutting off all supplies. From there victory will be easy, their forces will be begging for mercy." Bradley spoke to the general who walked beside him followed by two guards.

Al watched him with contempt, a feeling of deep hatred boiling up inside him. 'I have failed granny and Winry, but Ed I will finish what you have started.' He managed to keep a close distance between him and the former Fuhrer; as soon as the moment was right he would make his move.

As Riza, Roy and Jean went to leave with Ed there was a moment of silence. Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths as Winry stood next to Ed.

Ed could feel the familiar feeling sink into his skin; he was doing what he did best. He was leaving her yet again.

Giving the couple some privacy Riza shooed the men over to the car. As she took one last look at them she noticed something that she hadn't noticed before. A sparkle caught her eye as she spotted the ring on Winry's finger and it hit her. A sad smile came to her lips as she jumped into the car beside Roy, her hand brushing up against his. Their eyes lingered on each other, "Roy when will this end?"

Mustang lowered his head, "While there are humans on this earth, I fear that there will always be war."

Riza grabbed his hand letting his warmth comfort the sadness that she felt. "Did you notice the ring on Winry's finger?"

Roy's eyes widened as he strained to see out the car window his hand tightening around Riza's as he watched Ed kiss Winry. "Even though there will always be wars, it doesn't mean I won't fight for what's right." He gazed at the young couple out the window, "We will fight for their future…" his eyes met hers as he finished his sentence, "and ours."

Outside Winry bit her lip trying to be strong. Ed looked at her apologetically but Winry smiled through the tears that were threatening to escape, "Oh Edward it's not your fault."

They kissed one last sweet kiss before he turned and got in the car. Edward was not one for saying goodbyes, but as she watched his back go she felt his heart breaking. She whispered into the night air as the car drove off, "I'll wait for you, I will always be waiting if you promise to come back to me."

Ed knew that he couldn't say goodbye, he couldn't do it. No matter how badly he wanted to cry and scream to her he couldn't do it. He had to be strong; he had to do the right thing. As he settled into the car his heart told him to run back to her, but the car was already racing down the street. Roy patted him on the shoulder, "It's about time you told the truth to that girl." He smiled slightly, "Now the real question is who will be your best man?"

Ed didn't answer as he thought of her walking down the isle towards him. He was stuck in this dreamlike image until the driver slammed on the breaks sending the car skidding to a halt.

Straining his neck to see why the driver had stopped Ed gasped in surprise.

The car became dead silent as everyone stared at the corpse of Bradley lying face down in the road.

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So there it is

another chapter

and as always I'm a little hesitant about it

but I think its alright

Amy


	16. Brink of Destruction

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Chapter 16: Brink of Destruction

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Al stood in the street hovering above the body of the former Fuhrer Bradley. The gun still clutched in his hand. There was a silence that had fallen around him as he saw the look of shock on Bradley's face at the sound of his gun. It was almost too easy as the guards and the General had taken off in a car to head off the troops while Bradley insisted on walking the rest of the way to their camp a couple of miles outside Central. A wave of nervousness and fear swallowed him up as his mind replayed it over and over again. The shot ringing through his head, he had killed a man. Al stared straight ahead, 'I've done it brother, I finished it.' The sound of a cars engine slowly floated through the air sending chills through his spine, he had no idea how he would escape the wrath of their army if they found what he had done. Fearing the worst Al ran to the forest edge hidden by the shadows and brush. He wondered when hiding had become second nature to him.

Everyone just stared at the man laying in the road their jaws to the ground. It had to be a mistake. Jumping out of the car Ed was first on the scene as he pushed the man over confirming his identity. Riza let out a gasp behind him as she laid eyes on the motionless body of Bradley. As they stood in silence each of their heads jerked up as they heard it. Al's voice rang out to them from the side of the road, "BROTHER!"

Tackling his brother in a hug Al started to shake with unshed emotion. The tears began to leak from his eyes when he looked down at Bradley, "I…I killed him Ed. I didn't think I could do it. I heard some soldiers talking about how you were dead and I don't know I just lost it. I…I…did it, I killed him." Al's voice was barely above a whisper as he tried to explain himself.

Mustang gripped his shoulder, "Al you did nothing wrong, you finished the mission you and your brother were meant to take. You may have killed him, but you have rid this world of a mass murderer." Somehow even though he had tried to speak words of comfort it didn't seem to really help. It would also seem that his reiteration of the word kill didn't exactly sound comforting.

Noticing this lack of empathy Riza let out an audible sigh, "Al it's going to be ok, you did the right thing." The driver, Havoc, Mustang and Edward stared at her in amazement; she had managed to calm him in a matter of seconds. Women sure did have a knack for that sort of thing.

Taking charge Mustang looked at the group, "Well what's done is done. What we need to do now is cut off the army's communications before we reach Central. I have already notified our troops stationed there; they are ready for an attack. However without Bradley pulling the strings and their communications cut I can see a clear victory for our side. We have no other choice, we need to end this. This war has got to come to an end."

Back in Rush Valley Winry had managed to check on every last person in the city. Completely exhausted she felt happily complacent for the first time in years. Upon checking out the residents of the city she had deduced that the chemical which they had used wasn't strong enough to do the kind of damage they had predicted. It was obvious that the chemists that were forced to make it had devised this formula to knock the victim's unconscious with no serious after effects. It was relieving to think that there was still so much good out there especially in these hard times. As happy as she was that everyone was ok she also couldn't help but think about the events that had occurred in the past week. She had lost her grandmother, almost lost Ed and now she was engaged. Turning the ring slowly on her finger a feeling of sickness rose up within her as she remembered his words to her. Perhaps there wasn't a better time for him to ask her maybe that was all the happiness she would ever see. She stared out of the window of the Rockbell shop front, was it too much to ask for a little happiness after everything? The sound of footsteps rattled the house breaking her from her thoughts. A messenger was standing in the front room sweat beads falling down his cheeks. His breath came out in short breaths, "Are you Miss. Winry Rockbell?"

Winry nodded her head, "Yes I am."

He handed her a letter, "Well then this is for you."

Winry ripped it open her eyes falling upon the handwritten letter addressed from Ed. She quickly scanned it before she let it drop from her hands her mouth hanging open slightly. The messenger took this as his que to leave as he stepped out of the house. Winry gathered her composure, grabbed her medicine bag and left the house leaving nothing but dust in her wake. The letter on the floor of the house laid face up bearing a simple message.

_We are planning the final strike. If this doesn't work we will all be dead by morning. If we fail I need you to hide yourself, do not try to find me. I would tell you more but I am afraid this might be intercepted. Don't be afraid, I am not scared to die. You showed me what it is to love and I can't give you any higher praise than that. I love ya Win and I will see you again…whether it's in your dreams or mine._

Winry felt the determination spread through every inch of her body as she grabbed every nurse and doctor in the city. She gathered them together her voice loud and clear, "I could be leading you to your deaths so if you want to back out now I will not hold it against you." Winry looked around the group but no one budged. She flashed as small smile before her face turned serious once again. "I don't know what's going to happen in Central, but I do know that I can't sit around while people die. If they are willing to save us with their lives the least we can do is to try and save theirs."

Several of the doctors nodded their heads in agreement before they got into their cars and headed out towards Central and the front line of the war.

Mustang sent his orders down to the lower officers each of whom placed thier men strategically to protect the city. Roy sat nervously at his desk his foot tapping the ground lightly as he awaited the enemy army to strike. Edward walked into his office followed by Al, "Our task force is ready to strike when you are."

Mustang nodded his head, "I'm counting on you two to take out their two lead generals. That's no easy feat; I trust that the both of you understand fully the dangers of this mission."

Ed cocked his head to the side a grin spreading across his face, "Why else would I have agreed."

Al nodded along with his brother, "I'm already a dead man for killing Bradley I might as well try to take down a few more before my luck runs out."

Roy stood up and shook both of their hands before heading out the door, "It has been a pleasure serving with you gentleman, I hope to see you at the end of this all."

Once Ed and Al were alone Ed remembered something he should of told Al awhile ago. "Al there's something I need to tell you."

Al smiled at him, "Well it's about time."

Ed stared at him disbelief etched across his face, "Wait what? How did you know?"

Al laughed lightly, "Well that stupid grin on your face gives it away. But to be fair Riza told me." He shook his head, "You never were much of the romatic type huh? Proposing to her in the middle of a war?" His face fell slightly, "What if we don't make it through this, do you think she will be ok?"

Ed nodded his head but the words that came out of his mouth didn't seem to tell the truth at all. "She's a strong woman she will be just fine." Not believing the end of his sentence, he pulled out a piece of parchment from Mustangs desk and began to slowly write to her. He owed it to her, after everything that he had put her through it was only right for him to say goodbye.

Before long the Elric brothers stood on the threshold of the last battle. The final clashing of the two armies which had slowly been tearing away at each other for years. The brothers led there men behind the enemy force, ready to strike from behind at a moments notice.

The enemy army was the first to strike, bombing the city mercilessly. Mustang yelled his orders as the sounds of bombs rang through the air. Without a medical team to back them up he knew just as every man fighting knew, every breath could very well be their last.

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I know I know

will my grammer ever improve?

will my made up war without a name ever end??

will I keep writing nonsense?

well you will find out soon enough

Thanks for reading

I do heart you all

Amy


	17. The Fog of War

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**Chapter 17: The Fog Of War**

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Arriving on the scene of a battlefield was always the hardest part. There was a grave feeling of danger and fear that loomed across Central City. The culmination of years worth of fighting had presented itself. Here would be the last stand, the final resting spot for one of the two armies.

It was the mark of a great medic team to immediately take action and begin with their own plan of attack. The usual response however was a moment of stunned disbelief but here on the front lines there is no such thing as a pause. There is no shield for the innocent, no mercy for those in shock. Winry's medic team was well aware of all the risks and was prepared for what lay in front of them. Making their way to friendly arms was the first half of their battle. Winry hid her fear from the others, she had to be strong. However she knew that without knowledge of a medic team arriving on the scene they would have to dodge enemy fire as well as friendly fire. It was by the skin of their teeth that their rather small team was able to maneuver through the city and to the side that they belonged.

Winry felt a strange feeling of normalcy as she began sending out search and rescue groups to retrieve soldiers. They didn't have near enough supplies or manpower to even begin to make a dent in the numbers of injured soldiers, but she was determined to save as many lives as she could. A loud female voice broke her concentration as she struggled to stitch up a rather jagged cut on the arm of a soldier. Looking up she came face to face with Major General Olivia Armstrong her eyes blazing as she stared at the young doctor. "Just what do you think you're doing here?"

Winry was flabbergasted it was quite obvious what she was doing. Whether she should be receiving this kind of attitude was the real question. Her patience was nonexistent as the blood was still flowing heavily out of her patient. Going back to her surgery she spoke with a stubborn tone, "Saving lives."

Major Armstrong slammed her fist on the counter, "We didn't send for a medic team, you have just put all of these doctors in terrible danger."

Winry kept on working, ignoring the troubled voice in the back of her mind that reminded her of the way she was speaking to an officer.

"I cant just sit and do nothing. They are all well aware of the dangers. They are all here by there own free will."

Major Armstrong's face which always had a look of superior calm was slightly frazzled, "Fine, but if you get yourself blown up I wont be the one to tell him."

Winry finally looked up her face going a little pale, "Tell who?"

Olivia stared at her, "That fiancé of yours warned us that you would follow him here. He also said if that was the case that no one would be able to get you to leave." A small smirk crept on her lips, "To be quite honest I didn't think you would have the guts to come here. But mark my words you get in our way and you will find yourself at my mercy." With that she turned and headed back to their command center.

Winry had heard from her brother that she was quite scary and this encounter was no exception.

The soldier she was working on seemed dazed by what was going on his face remained expressionless. Winry finished up quickly, "All right that should do it, but don't strain that arm unless you want to tear your stitches."

He remained laying on the table showing no signs that he understand anything she had just said.

Winry gently shook him, "I said you'll be fine, you can go now."

His eyes began to water but he just laid there as stiff as a board. Winry began to panic she had seen this before. There were quite a few soldiers who were put in her care that seemed to be shell shocked. It certainly wasn't uncommon to see men completely loose it out on the front lines. She pulled him up into a sitting position, "Listen to me, you are going to pull yourself together." He simply slumped backwards forcing Winry to use all of her strength to sit him back up. She knew that soft words of encouragement would not snap him out of it so she took a deep breath and continued.

"You will get up and get on the next supply truck heading back to safety. Do you understand me?"

Suddenly the soldier snapped; his hands flew up to her throat as he started to scream at her. He began to choke her as his mind traveled far beyond the boarders of sanity. "No, I won't do it. Everyone's dying! They're all dead! Why can't you just let me die! I said to let me die with my comrades! I'm supposed to die with them, I need to go back! Why...won't...you...let...me...DIE!"

He continued to squeeze her throat harder causing part of his stitches to tear. The blood from his wound poured down his arms soaking her clothes with its deep red mark. Winry gasped and choked as her lungs screamed for air. She had seen plenty of soldiers loose their minds, but never like this. She clawed at his arms desperate for their release but it didn't come. Her vision was becoming hazy as her arms started to feel heavy. It was no use, she was caught off guard. A simple thought flew through her head as she began to give up, 'I wonder if Ed is ok.'

Ed silently directed his task force to their targets. The two generals who were commanding the enemy army weren't the brightest, or maybe it was just their arrogance. Whatever the case, they had placed themselves out in broad daylight. They made no attempts to hide themselves; which for their team would prove to be the stroke of good fortune they had been waiting for. Taking them down was only a matter of time, not effort. Ed turned to his younger brother, "Al two-way for backup"

"Brigadier General Mustang we are in position. Its time you sent in infantry group 6 and we will have them surrounded."

Mustang responded with his approval but didn't end it there, "Al you and Ed were right. Major General Armstrong just reported to me, she's here."

Alphonse turned to his older brother to relay the message but Ed had clearly heard it. He shook his head his face falling, "I hate being right, that girl is too stubborn for her own good."

Roy noticed the storm brewing on the horizon as the fog started to sweep over Central. It seemed that the wind was blowing in their favor. This was unforeseen and triggered a sense of fear inside him. Just like a storm could change its course in a matter of seconds, so could this battle. Staring out he felt a wave of pride push away this fleeting feeling of doubt because before the fog completely blocked it out it was clear who was winning.

The soldier struggled through the fog as he rushed back out to the field oblivious to the doctor who was lying on the ground covered in his blood. In the midst of the fog and his confusion he would meet his fate. He stood directly in front of the enemy's line unaware of exactly what he was doing and completely unarmed. In other words he had turned into the perfect target. Although as he felt the shots tear through him something told him he was deserving of their wrath. The irony of it all sunk in as his mind became clear for the first time since he had witnessed his comrades death. He had begged for death and here it was. He thought of that doctor as he fell to his knees gazing at his bloody hands.

"What have I done?"

The last bombs went off. Enemy troops were thick in the midst of chaos without a higher command coordinating thier offense and defensive tactics. Ed kept his team on guard but the enemy troops before them had started to surrender. As quickly as the fog had fallen over the scene it was gone leaving in its wake a great and final victory. It would be the same all across Amestris. How the mighty had fallen in such a short amount of time after everything was truly astounding. Ed watched as his men rejoiced with the war at its end. He smiled as he patted his brother on the back, "Thanks for being by my side you did well Al, you did well."

The brothers stood on the crest of a victory, both beaming with pride and relief.

Was it a lie? Perhaps if they had seen the girl lying on the ground at that very moment they might not have rejoiced in a victory. Because in a war there can be no victory, in the end both sides always take a hit. The famous alchemy rule of equivalent exchange should have told them that.

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Ok so im not much for writing fight scenes

(obviously) haha but hopefully it wasn't too shabby

The war may be over

but there is much much more to be said

Amy


	18. The Truth of Goodbye

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**Chapter 18: The Truth of Goodbye**

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Riza stared at the document fear rising up in her chest. She had thought with the end of the war she would find some peace of mind but this letter served as a bitter reminder of just what the war had done. Marching up to Mustangs office she ran face first into a very impatient alchemist.

"Watch it!" Ed remarked with a tone of annoyance. He quickly retracted when he noticed who he had run into. Riza raised an eyebrow as his face quickly changed to that of regret. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."

Bending over to help pick up the scattered papers he had knocked out of her hands his eyes caught a name. A cruel curiosity took over as he brought the paper closer revealing a message not meant for his eyes. It was a missing personnel report with one particularly sad note attached.

Unable to move she knew immediately that he had picked up the one piece of paper she didn't want him to see. The note was simple but it read like a nightmare.

_After extensive searching we were unable to recover or receive any news containing the whereabouts of Dr. Rockbell. She was last seen by Major General Olivia Armstrong._

His hands held onto the piece of paper as if he could somehow retract its words. A fear was bubbling up in his chest as the world around him started to sway. A hand steadied him from behind.

Riza spoke quietly, "Edward we will find her."

With a curt nod Ed thrust the papers back into her hands and walked quickly down the hallway and out of sight. Once he was outside the building Ed sat on the nearest bench and put his head in his hands. He couldn't take the thought of losing her like this over and over again. A horrible thought had reared its head from the fear that welled up inside him. 'She will never be safe as long as she stays by my side.'

Al was furious with his older brother as he joined the search team that was scouring the battle scene identifying bodies and rescuing injured soldiers. His brother was stuck in his own world of misery refusing to search for what he was certain would be a body. The remains of the woman he loved were somewhere amongst the debris. The pain and frustration he had been feeling came to a head the night before.

"_Dammit brother she could still be alive and you're just going to sit here?" Al yelled at his brother the anger overtaking his normal calm demeanor._

"_I can't do it; I can't look for her body Al. I don't want to find her…I don't want to know." His voice was slightly hysterical._

_Al slammed the door behind him as he left, angry with his brothers self defeat and the fact that he was expected to do this by himself. Back in the Rockbell auto mail shop Ed was standing in the doorway unable to follow his brother. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to her."_

As they carefully walked through the grounds one of the soldiers called out,

"Hey I got something over here."

Al's ears perked up as he noticed medical supplies around the area. Gazing at the scene he felt his heart drop, laying under part of a board was a girl covered in blood. The soldier who had found her knelt down next to her finally shaking his head. He kept his head down as he spoke quieter than before, "There's no pulse."

Al walked slowly over to the spot where several of them had stopped mesmerized by yet another example of death. The death toll kept climbing with each finding of theirs. Fighting the horrible sickness he felt rise in his throat he finally laid eyes on the girl. With a terrible sense of relief he realized it wasn't her. This girl was a doctor but she wasn't Winry. However something wasn't quite right about this scene. Looking closer Al rushed forward, "There's someone else under here, help me lift this."

On the count of three they managed to lift the board revealing a sight no one was prepared for. Covered in bruises and blood lay the deathly pale body of Winry Rockbell. Al stepped back quickly letting out a small cry of shock.

Edward walked slowly around the Rockbell's place in Rush Valley. He made his way up the stairs to her room and found himself lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. He didn't know what else to do. His heart was screaming at him to go help Al find her, but his body remained motionless. For some reason his mind was telling him that the longer he waited the longer he could still believe she might be alive. 'Was it such a terrible thing to want to hide from the truth?' The defeat in his mind and body echoed through his heart.

Mustangs booming voice brought him quickly back to reality. "Fullmetal you here?"

Ed sat up straight he couldn't face anyone; he couldn't bare to let anyone see the fear and shame that marked his face.

A noise from upstairs brought Roy into what appeared to be the young Rockbells room. It was apparent that someone had just been there as there was still an imprint of a body on the bed. Shaking his head Roy sat down on the bed, there was no doubt about it Ed had just been there.

Ed jumped from the roof, landing just in time to see Roy walk into the room. Standing out in front of the house Ed couldn't move. He could face the terrible truths of war, but he couldn't face this one last truth. It was the mark of his youth that he had tried to run away from the thing that scared him the most. News of her death would completely destroy him. He didn't realize how long he had been standing there rethinking his decision until he spotted Mustang walking out of the shop towards him. Roy's face crinkled in anger. Once he was within arms reach he shoved Ed to the ground holding him in place with his foot.

Completely thrown off guard Ed didn't have time to react before he found himself pinned to the ground. "What do you want with me?"

Roy stared at him confusion written on his face, "Fullmetal are you fucking kidding me? I'm here because while you sit here and wallow in your self pity the rest of my men are searching for missing soldiers and citizens."

Edward turned his face away from him not wanting to hear any of it, even if it was the truth. "I've done my duty, now let me be."

This was the last straw before Mustang bent down and punched Ed right in the face causing his nose to start bleeding.

Throwing his hands up to his face Ed glared at Roy frozen with disbelief.

"You've got some nerve kid; I thought she was important to you."

Ed's eyes flashed as he tried to stop his nose from bleeding. "Don't speak about her to me."

Mustang pulled his foot off of Edward and lifted him up so that he could stand. "I am going to speak of her to you because while you're moping around here she's being rushed to the hospital as we speak. You sit there in your heartache, what are you waiting for? Whatever weird ass problem your having right now you better fix because I don't want to have to explain to that girl why your not there by her side."

Ed wiped his face streaking his shirt sleeve with blood. He pressed his lips together as wave after wave of truth hit him. The truth that he couldn't say goodbye shouldn't matter because she was alive, but that wasn't the whole truth. "I don't think I can see her."

Roy's jaw dropped, "You aren't going to see her? What kind of game are you playing at?"

Ed turned his back on Mustang walking away from it all. He couldn't see her because he couldn't say goodbye. Goodbye was the only thing that could save her. She had followed him just like his brother did into a world of death. The depression that the war had brought to so many had its firm grip on his mind as he continued to walk away. Walk far, far away. Away from Mustang standing behind him, away from the brother he had seen kill against his will, and away from the girl who had risked it all just to save him. Away from the person he loved more than anything, he had to get as far away as possible before he lost his nerve to end it. His voice was rather cold as it made its way through the air into Roy's ears. "They will never be safe with me, tell them goodbye."

The newly appointed Fuhrer Mustang didn't follow Ed; he wasn't the man he had thought he was.

Winry blinked her eyes slowly as light began to filter through her eyelids. A small smile crept on her face as she saw a man with golden blond hair at her side. Her hand reached for his, but it wasn't where it should be. A familiar voice brought her to full conscious. To the full realization that the man beside her wasn't Ed.

Al sat unmoving beside her as Winry stared sadly around the room.

"He's not here… is he?"

Al didn't answer, but he didn't have to. Roy walked in moments later his face unmistakably unnerved.

Tears ran silently down her face creating trails of silvery wetness. "He's not coming back is he?"

No one in the room spoke because the Edward they knew would have been beside her at a moments notice. The lack of his presence was a sign that something was terribly wrong. The sound of footsteps echoing through the hallway made everyone in the room turn to the door just in time to see Ed walk in.

Ed braced himself as he walked into her room. He was greeted by the relieved face of his brother and the annoyed look on Roy's. But the one face he couldn't read was the only one he wanted to see. Seeing the unspoken tension between the two Roy mumbled something about paperwork as he pulled Al into the hallway.

Once they were alone Ed rushed to her side his eyes searching hers frantically. "Oh Win I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

Winry spoke softly, "Mustang told me you weren't coming."

Ed felt a wave of embarrassment come over him. "I know I wasn't going to come."

Winrys face broke upon hearing his words.

"Winry I blame myself, all the times you've been put in harms way. Im the reason you're hurt and I cant forgive myself. I put you in danger and I'm sorry. The truth is that I was going to say goodbye to you, I was going to take the coward's way out. But as I was walking away I realized just how selfish I truly am…I can't leave you. Oh Win please forgive me I just can't do it. Because in the end the ultimate truth is that I can't live without you."

Winry remained silent for awhile her mind still trying to register his words. Edward couldn't hold back any longer, acting on impulse he placed both of his palms on the sides of her head and pulled her into a deep kiss. As they broke apart he couldn't take his eyes off of the brilliant smile that adorned her lips.

She looked into his eyes long and hard biting her lip before she took a deep breath. "Edward Elric don't you ever try to say goodbye again."

Relief flooding his entire body Ed slipped his hand into hers a smile stretching across his face. "Well that's good because I'm going to marry you Winry Rockbell and I plan on being with you forever and ever and ever and ever…"

Ed draped the flag over one of his soldiers casket; it was one of hundreds that were lined up. Large numbers of people trickled in each finding the one that held a loved one. Ed walked up and down the isles reading name after name. Some he recognized some he didn't. A tug on his hand stopped him from walking any further. Turning to see why Winry had stopped he spotted the name on the casket. Written in beautiful script was the name Pinako Rockbell. There was a silence between them as Winry ran her hand over the surface of the casket. "I suppose this is the truth." Ed walked up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.

Her face began to fall as her eyes filled with water, "How do you say goodbye?"

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Haha I hope you like soap operas

because I've come to the conclusion that all my fanfics

have an heir of soap op. to them

The sad part is

I don't even like soap operas

Amy


	19. What Remains

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Chapter 19: What Remains

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Hand in hand the two walked up the pathway through the leaves. A gust of wind rustled the leaves that littered the ground. The summer had brought the bloodiest battles of the war, and the fall had ushered in its end. It was the end of one season the start of a new; the end of one era, the beginning of a new.

The couple stood in front of the wreckage neither really aware of how they had gotten to this point but well aware of what had been done. Winry squeezed his hand a little tighter as she stared at the remains of the place she used to call home. She couldn't help but think on how much things had changed and now what remained. This place reminded her so much of what she had lost, but the hand that held hers was a beautiful sign of what she had gained. Is it possible to have gained anything from such a nightmare?

Edward watched her face change as she surveyed the destruction, he could see the pain in her eyes. The slight grasp of her hand in his told him that which he already knew, she was scared. The hardest part isn't the ending so much as the start. In the end there can be nothing more; it's finished. However remembering the beginning and all that made it up is what drags us down. Every memory she was thankful for in the first place hurt that much more. Her family which had once resided in this house were all gone.

"Win I'm so sorry."

Her eyes began to tear up, "She was it…when you and Al would leave she was all I had."

Her voice suddenly went flat, "They told me that she left it all to me, this place, the shop, everything."

Ed really wasn't the best at comforting people but he knew he had to say something, "She wanted you to have it, she wanted you to be happy."

Winry put her head on his shoulder and sighed, "I know, but it's not just that. Ed I almost lost you. What am I going to do if I loose you and Al? I'll have no one."

Edward turned her body so that they were face to face, "You gotta know that we aren't the only ones who care about you. Winry there are hundreds of men out there who owe you their lives and there are all of your customers in Rush Valley; not to mention all of your friends." After a few minutes of silence he spoke again this time with a sense of remorse, "I never meant to drag you into this, any of this." He put his head down. He figured this would happen but he couldn't help himself. "Throughout our whole lives I've left you behind or I've dragged you along. Because of me you were stuck in that war. God Win you should of never seen such things. Why would you want to marry me? I have never been good enough to deserve your love."

At this point Winry tried to say something but was silenced by Ed's finger on her lips, "Win I'll never be what you need me to be and I fear I will always lead you into harms way. So why, why would you ever want to stay with me?"

Winry's face became stern as she glared at him." Because I want to and that's reason enough. Ed I followed you into that war, I did. You never told me to I just did it, I had to. I wouldn't be a Rockbell if I just stood by and didn't try to help and I wouldn't be me if I didn't wait for you all those times. It's never been a question of why, to me it's just always been a fact. Edward I wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for all those times you've saved me." She could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest, "I wouldn't be me if I didn't love you. When you asked me to marry you it was never a question because you should have known the answer right from the start." A small smile finally began to form on her face, "Who else would put up with my obsession with automail, and who else would take a wrench to the face day after day?"

The two laughed until their voices became horse. Ed glanced at his watch, it was time. "Are you ready to go?"

Winry nodded her head her eyes holding a certain pain that only those who have felt true loss can recognize. Somehow this place even in its depressing state still felt like home. To leave was to say goodbye to her past, to say goodbye to those she had loved and lost. But as Ed held her hand she thanked whatever god there was out there for leaving her someone to take her away. Someone to pull her from the past and bring her into the future. "I'm glad you're here."

Her black dress rippled in the wind as they stood amongst the crowd. Al was already waiting for them. Once they were close enough he immediately grabbed Winry's other hand and gave it a squeeze. "How're you holding up?"

Winry looked up into his face her eyes brimming with tears, "Relieved."

The Elric brothers stood on both sides of her holding her hands looked slightly confused but her faint smile revealed her true meaning.

"Because I still have family at my side." She looked up into both of their faces, "And that's all I need."

The coldness of night began to set in as they walked back to the train station. They were leaving their pasts behind like the watch that was in Ed's pocket and the deed of the Rockbell property in hers.

On the train ride home Ed stayed awake as Winry's head lay in his lap her breath slow and shallow as she slept. He stroked her golden locks his mind revolving around the ultimate question. Could he really do this? Could he knowingly drag her back into his world of fear and death? But just as this questions fluttered through his head so did the answers. The answer came in the beautiful girls movements. She gently nudged her head into his lap for comfort, her expression that of a serene calm. The answer was that she had always been by his side; she had always been in danger. Without him by her side she was still in danger only then she would also be alone. For every horrible thing that had happened to him he could still find happiness, a happiness that only revealed itself when he was with her. He continued to gaze at her until his eyelids started to fall. 'God I love this girl.'

Farther away a son stared at his father's grave his face clenched in anger. Selim Bradley swore under his breath as he read his fathers name on the tombstone. To him his father had been his hero, a man who had taken things to the extreme in order to establish a world in his favor. A world in which the people would fear their leaders; a world of order.

Selim believed greatly in his fathers cause and the army he had brought to destroy those that opposed. He grimaced at what now remained; a defeated army and a dead father. He noticed the shadow behind him before it spoke. "So envy I see we are the only two left."

The man in the shadows walked out exposing his identity as Envy, "I hate losing."

Selim cursed loudly, "I couldn't agree more." He turned away from the grave that sat alone in dishonor. "The army has been defeated, but that does not mean we can't still achieve a win. We will have our revenge." A smile crept onto his face as he pulled out his gun shooting off into the distance. A soft thud revealed the body of Jean Havoc.

Selim walked over to the body, "Well we can't have one of you going back to tattle on us now can we?"

Havoc chocked up blood as he stared horrified as Envy pulled a white envelope from his pocket.

"Oh what do we have here? Haha is this a wedding invitation? A Miss Winry Rockbell and a Mr. Edward Elric."

Selim snatched the invitation from Envy's hands, "Rockbell you say?" His eyes scanned the card as his face began to darken, "I remember father telling me about that girl, well I see we should definitely crash this party."

Havoc tried desperately to reach his gun which had fallen a few feet from his grasp. Envy picked it up and pointed it at him. "Seems like a pretty sad ending for a guy who was on the winning side of the war."

Envy pulled the trigger and watched Havoc until he didn't see his chest rise again. The two then set off. Selim smirked, "The weddings in a week, we better start planning."

What remains at the bitter end of a war? Only death, remorse and as Selim and Envy grinned wickedly; a deep desire for revenge.

* * *

I finally brought in some deadly sins

I'm still not very good with characters personalities

but i do know that Selim kid is creepy

hahaha

Amy


	20. The Note

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**Chapter 20: The Note**

* * *

Mustang bent his head low as Riza explained the situation. Her voice quivered a little when she handed him the note that had come with Havocs body. Roy took the piece of paper with the blood red ink writing sprawled across it.

_You may have won the war, but there will always be resistance. We will have our revenge; the real question is where and when. This mans death is the first of many to come. You have ended one war, but the rules of this universe are clear. The end of one thing means the beginning of the next. There will be no mercy._

Roy slammed his fists down on the desk his face contorted in rage, "I want to know who did this!"

Hawkeye swallowed hard as she nodded her head. She knew things had been rough on him throughout the war but she had never seen him weaken not even for a second. However as she walked out of his office she couldn't help but notice that his head was cradled in his hands.

Fuery and Breda both felt loss during the war, but Havocs death had come as a complete shock. During a time of supposed peace they could not fathom that someone could have taken him down so easily. Breda looked a little pale as he started to run things over and over in his head. "I just don't get it; he said that he was just going to take a walk. Did he know something and not tell us? He must have stumbled upon something. That note was rather to the point; do you think it's a bluff?"

Fuery's jaw clenched as he stood next to Breda, "I don't think that notes a bluff, Havoc wasn't the kind of guy to give up his life for some kind of joke." His voice was fixed with anger as he spoke.

Breda took a step back unnerved by Fuery's anger. "I didn't mean it like that and you know it. I just meant that it could be some kind of trap to get the military all worked up over."

Fuery shook his head the anger leaving his voice, "I know you didn't mean it like that, I just can't believe this. Maybe if I had kept a better eye out, I just never saw this coming."

The appearance of Hawkeye quickly silenced their conversation. They could see their pain mirrored in her eyes.

"I hate that something like this is what brings us together." She tried to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey, you alright Lieutenant?"

She smiled sadly, "Yes I'm fine, I just haven't gotten much sleep since we got _the news_."

A moment of silence filled the air as all three of them bowed their heads in deep thought.

Finally Fuery spoke, "You know I was so grateful that we had all made it out of this war unharmed. I actually thought everything would change for the better. I guess the only real question now is which one of us gets to kill the bastard who did this."

Winry stared thoughtfully at the deed in her hand as she stared back at the pile of lumber and construction equipment that now lay before them. Ed couldn't help but marvel at her uncanny ability to master any craft. She laid out the blueprints her brows furrowed. "Ed I just don't know how we are going to get anywhere with just us three…speaking of three shouldn't Al be back by now?"

Ed ignored her question as he quietly snuck up behind her and began waging a war against her most ticklish spots. "Well I think you worry too much." His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Winry fell over giving into her laughter taking Ed down with her. The two were broke out of their wrestling match by the slightly embarrassed cough emitted by Al.

Winry blushed a deep red when she realized the compromising position she was in as Ed remained on top of her. Ed quickly stood up helping her to get up. Once she had dusted herself off she realized what had taken Al so long.

Al smiled brightly as Winry surveyed the number of men standing behind him. "Hey Win I know that we couldn't afford a lot of help but these guys offered to help free of charge!"

One of the men behind Al walked up to Winry and shook her hand, "Miss. Rockbell I was injured in one of the first battles of the war and you saved my life I would be honored to help you in any way I can."

Several other men walked up and shook her hand each mumbling their gratitude.

Winry's face was illuminated with happiness as she surveyed the scene before her. "I don't know what to say."

Ed put his arm around her shoulders, "What she's trying to say is that we would love your help!"

A week later they said their final goodbyes to the men who had helped finish building the house in record time. Ed wrapped Winry up in his arms leaning down to softly kiss her lips. "It's perfect."

Suddenly a cold liquid hit the couple splashing a yellow paint across their clothes. Ed screamed out while Winry let out a little squeal. Sure enough Al was standing there with a pale of yellow paint a huge grin on his face. "Whoops, sorry guys I guess your public display of affection distracted me!"

Ed grumbled a little before Winry's paint smeared hand rubbed a distinct yellow line of paint across his face. She laughed loudly before she noticed Ed's frown. "Aw Ed I'm sorry I was just…"

Before she could finish her sentence Ed had already grabbed a paint brush and made to swipe it at her. Winry let out a tiny scream as she started to run away from him.

The three finally tired out after what seemed like hours of messing around. They sat down on the porch the laughter still lingering in the air. Winry looked up into the Elrics faces, "So boys I propose a truce." Her face flickered with laughter as she looked at the boys who now resembled bananas.

She stopped laughing once she noticed the car driving up to the house. Once the car was close enough they could see the blond hair of Riza Hawkeye. She slowly got out of the car her eyes bloodshot, the dark circles evident underneath. Winry slowly got up, "Riza what brings you here to Resembool?"

Riza bowed her head, "I thought I would tell you in person." She took a deep breath, "As of two days ago Havoc was killed."

The carefree atmosphere with all of their laughter was blown far away as a more chilling darkness loomed over them.

Ed was the first to break the silence, "I don't understand, he was killed? Do they know who did it?"

Riza shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

Al spoke softly, "But I thought the war was over, who would want to kill Jean?"

Finally after several forced breaths of calm Riza looked over at Ed, "I know that things here are finally back to normal, but I have to ask you. Will you join our investigation team?"

Ed stared at her but his eyes flickered over to where Winry stood. His mind started to swirl as he noticed the fear flare up in her eyes. "I will help find who did this to Havoc."

Riza nodded her head but before she could speak Al interjected quickly. "I will go as well."

Before Winry could join in Ed turned to her his face stern, "Win I'm trusting that you will wait for us here?"

Winry's fear instantly left her as anger took its place, "Ed if you think I'm going to stay here waiting for you to come back you've got another thing coming…"

Riza patted her on the arm, "I recommend that you stay here Winry, we don't know who we're dealing with. Jean wasn't an incompetent soldier; whoever did this isn't someone we should take lightly. Further more we have more than enough people working on this case." Her voice started to soften as she gazed at Winry's defeated expression, "However there was a letter delivered to Central but it was addressed to you. I'm not sure it's from."

Winry took the letter cautiously, deciding to read it later. "Hmm it's probably from one of my patients in Rush Valley I'm sure they figured you would forward it to me. Come to think of it I need to find someone to help me run the shop in Rush valley." Her voice trailed off as she began to take in the sorrow in Hawkeyes voice. The shadows under Riza's eyes seemed more pronounced as she sighed. "So it's settled I expect both of you to report to Central tomorrow by noon, from there I can brief you on this case." She nodded her head in Winry's direction, "Take care of yourself Miss Winry. I hope that the next time we meet it will be without bad news." With that she turned on her heel left in her car.

Winry grabbed a nearby rag and started to wipe off the yellow paint from her face, careful to hide the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

Ed could feel her pain even with her back turned to the brothers. Al seemed to cue in on this and mumbled something about cleaning up inside before he quickly retreated inside the house. Ed walked slowly over to her, resting his head on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Feeling him come up behind her she turned slowly to look him in the eyes. "I know I shouldn't be so selfish, wanting to keep you here. I know what this means to you and I wont stop you from leaving."

Ed cringed at her last word, he had lost count the number of times he had done this to her. "Win I don't want to leave you, especially after everything that has happened. But I always come back, don't I? I promised you that I would and I have, this time won't be any different."

Winry finally let a smile grace her lips, "Oh I know you will be back Ed, who else can fix your automail like I can?"

Ed's face broke into one of his famous grins, "Yeah that and I think you'd kill me if I wasn't here for our wedding."

Winry's face turned menacing, "Your damn right I would, you better not…"

Her sentence was broke off as Ed pressed his lips to hers not wanting to leave. The heat from his embrace ironically sent chills down her spine as she deepened it. Once they parted she began to laugh, "I knew there was a reason I was marrying you."

That night Winry feel fast asleep the day's events weighing heavily in her mind. The note given to her by Riza lay forgotten in her jacket pocket. As Ed walked into her room to kiss her goodnight his eyes spotted the white envelope in the darkness. Curiosity seemed to propel him towards it until he had it clutched in his hands. He silently made his way downstairs turning on a light to read the rather small print. His jaw dropped when he read the letter.

_Miss Rockbell,_

_If you are reading this I assume you are alive, this is very good news._

_As I do so wish to kill you myself. Until such time I leave you with this, a simple letter._

_Why it's almost similar to the note left with that dear soldier. Do not be saddened you will join him soon._

Ed dropped the letter running back into Winry's room. He heaved a huge sigh of relief when he saw her exactly where he had left her. Without thinking he laid down beside her snaking his arms around her.

Winry stirred in her sleep feeling his arms around her. She smiled faintly, "What are you doing Ed?"

He pulled her in closer not wanting to let the fear in his voice reach her ears. "Staying by your side."

She sighed happily drifting back into a deep sleep. Ed however would lay there his eyes glued on her, afraid to let her out of his sight for even a second.

* * *

Wow chapter 20

Who would have thought I would make it this far?

Who would have thought you guys might read this far!

Thank you!

Amy


	21. Calm Before the Storm

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**Chapter 21: Calm Before the Storm**

* * *

It's funny how the night seems to drag on when you're trying to stay awake. Sleep was etched into his face, the red slowly appearing in his eyes. Rubbing his eyes he exhaled deeply turning his head to stare at her again. Her face was stuck in a peaceful expression her chest rising and falling slightly with every breath. Ed couldn't help himself as his eyes slowly shut his body luring him into a forced sleep.

When he opened his eyes he saw a scene of chaos before him, Havoc was by his side screaming as blood poured from his wounds. Before he could register where he was he felt a piercing pain steal through his body. He gazed down to find several holes in his skin the bullets having sliced through his veins casting a sickening amount of blood to spill out. Dropping to his knees he couldn't get the sounds of gunfire and bombs to leave him in peace. He dragged himself over to Havoc, his body on the brink of death, "Jean who did this to you?"

Havoc coughed hard, the blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. "The boy, his boy."

Ed gripped his wounds tightly trying to fight the pain. "I don't understand, what boy?"

Havoc took one last shuddering breath, "Elric he's coming for her, the boy wants her dead."

Ed felt the fear and pain rise in him as the sounds of war became deafening, "DAMMIT HAVOC WHO! WHO'S THE BOY?"

With a deep gasp Ed jerked awake as a pair of hands gently shook him. Breathing deeply he turned sharply to meet a pair of rather frightened blue eyes.

Her voice came out in a barely audible whisper, "Ed are you alright?"

Not thinking clearly Ed quickly searched his body for bullet wounds his heart still racing. 'What did it all mean?" He stared off in the distance trying to decipher his absurd dream or nightmare to be more correct. Without an answer he jumped out of the bed and threw on his coat.

Winry's voice shook him from his tunnel vision. "Ed where are you going? Tell me what's wrong."

He didn't turn around to meet her gaze, "I need to find who killed Havoc, I have to go Win." His vow to stay by her side had been shaken, his instincts abandoned. As the adrenal ran thick in his blood all he could think about was this boy. The boy who was after her. "I'm going to kill him before he gets a chance to hurt you."

Winry stared after his retreating form a look of complete shock on her face, "Who would be after me?"

Ed walked briskly into Al's room the morning's dawn casting a reddish glow on its contents. Ed shook his brother, "Alphonse wake up."

Al slowly stirred rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "Wha…what's up, did I oversleep?"

Ed thrust Winry's note into his hands, "I'm going alone to Central. I'm going to find him before he finds her. Al I trust you'll look out for her. Just don't show her that note, I don't want to scare her. She's been through enough."

Al scanned the note his face going rather pale, "Wait Ed I cant, I can't stay here."

Edward looked at his younger brother with a pleading glare to his stare.

Al climbed out of bed to meet him eye to eye his voice shaking slightly with repressed emotion. "God Ed…don't you remember the last time you trusted me to keep her safe? Brother not only did I let them kill Granny but they kidnapped her without so much as a fight from me." His gaze fell to the floor his face full of shame and regret.

Ed grabbed his shoulder his voice steady, "Al that wasn't your fault, I trust you to keep her safe. That's all you have to do is keep her safe until I return. You're stronger than you think you are, after all who took down Bradley?"

Alphonse brought his head up slightly and with a sigh nodded his head, "I'll guard her with my life, just come home soon alright?"

Ed looked longingly at Winry's room, "She's probably going to ask why I left without you, I don't care what you tell her. But please don't mention that note, I don't want her to worry."

Al slowly crinkled up the note and threw it into the trash, keeping a secret from that girl was going to be a lot harder than Ed made it seem. The slamming of the front door was almost loud enough to block out the crying he heard coming from her room. He felt at a loss, his brother always managed to cause a storm. A storm that destroyed the fragile world around it and here he was as always, left to try and pick up the pieces. Opening the door to her room he knocked softly as he walked in. She tried to duck her head from his view as she wiped the tears from her face. Al wasn't going to fall for her tough act as she forced her face into an expressionless void, without fail he pulled her into a hug. "Win you know as well as I do that trying to figure out what he is thinking is a waste of time. But what I do know is that his main motive is love. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't try his best to protect us."

Winry smiled at him, "I know, I wouldn't have it any other way…I just wish it didn't hurt so badly." Her gaze slowly turned to skepticism, her voice becoming distant, "Al why didn't you go with him."

Al could feel his heart starting to race, how could he not tell her. His brother's voice echoed through his head sending a forbidding sense of finality into his head. "I don't think I'll be of much help in the search, really I'm better off staying here."

She could hear his lie stab its way through his words. She got up and walked to the door, "Al don't lie to me." With that she turned her back on him so that he wouldn't see the tears welling up in her eyes as she made her way downstairs and out the front door. Soon she was slumped against the faithful trunk of the large oak tree. The branches swayed slightly in the breeze making her resent the way the world kept spinning even when it seemed hers had come to an abrupt halt. It was like the calm before a storm, something bad was definitly on the horizon. She stared angrily at the rising sun, 'Dammit Ed when will you stop running away from me?'

Back in Central Breda dropped a stack of files on Mustangs desk. "This was all we could get from their old headquarters. It appears that they destroyed most of their documents in the last battle, but we did manage to get a hold of these."

Roy flipped through the pages confused, "I don't get it what do they mean?"

Breda pointed to the first document, "Apparently they had a secret task force called the seven sins. Each member was codenamed a different sin. From our records we have discovered that five of them are dead." He slowly pulled out two files. "However there are still two of them who have yet to be identified."

Roy read off the names, "Envy and Pride."

Fuery stepped closer to Mustangs desk, "From interrogating some of their men, we believe the identity of pride to be Salem Bradley."

Mustang raised his eyebrows, "Hmm is it possible he is of relation to the former fuhrer Bradley?"

Breda nodded his head, "Our information tells us that he is indeed the son of Bradley. This gives him the skills and motive for such a position. It also puts him in a position that lends itself to committing such a crime."

A knock at the door revealed Riza Hawkeye and Edward Elric. "Edward Elric is here to see you sir."

Roy motioned him to sit down. "Well boys you will need to confirm the identity of Pride, and you still need to find Envy's. I want them captured and brought back here for questioning. Is that clear?" As they turned to leave he stood up from his desk, "Elric hold on a second. Riza told me about what that note to Winry said." He stared unblinkingly into his eyes. "I think it's better if you sit this one out."

Ed's face contorted in rage, "You should know better, I can't sit around while someone comes after her. I will kill him before he can lay one finger on her."

Mustang shook his head, "See this is why I won't allow you on this case, you're too emotionally involved."

Ed angrily slammed his fist down on the desk, "This is bullshit! Emotionally involved? What about Hawkeye, Breda and Fuery aren't they all emotionally involved?"

This time Roy's face turned red with anger, "Don't talk to me with that attitude. They may be emotionally involved but they don't act on their anger. They don't make the careless mistakes that you do when a loved one is involved. You lose your head too much, just like your doing right now."

Ed's breathing was coming out in short rasps. "I thought after everything...I thought we were friends."

Roy avoided his glare, "We are, and that's why I can't let you go out there in the state that you're in. You'll only get yourself killed."

Ed didn't wait for him to look up before he had stormed out of the office. Riza tried to stop him but he shook her off.

Riza walked into Mustangs office. "Sir what's wrong with Edward, what happened?"

Roy frowned, "That kid is going to get himself killed."

* * *

Not very exciting

But the next chapter will be

Just wait and see!

Amy


	22. High Tension

* * *

**Chapter 22: High Tension**

* * *

Ed's body seemed to be acting of its own accord as he raced out of Central Headquarters. He didn't bother to look back; there was nothing that would change his mind. Things had always been bad for them and impending death was nothing new. However with this second chance at happiness he was bound and determined not to let it escape his grasp. However it was true even if he was rather reluctant to admit it, Mustang did have a point. He needed to focus his energy on solving the problem not on his desire to keep her safe. It was very simple, he had the option of turning back but he had no intention of following Roy's orders. With a vigilant look on his face he started off towards the former Fuhrer's mansion. He was doubtful that anyone would search the building since it had been condemned during a rather rough siege in the war. But if their information was correct Selim Bradley was one of the Sins and Ed couldn't shake the feeling that he was the brains behind this operation. He had only been to Bradley's mansion a few times but he was sure this was the one spot where he could find the answers he was looking for. With a renewed sense of purpose he found himself at the entrance, the gates already pummeled into the ground. He had suddenly become quite aware of the gun in his pocket as he silently stole across the battered grounds and into the mansions depths.

Salem sat back in the dining room chair his feet thrown carelessly on top of the wooden table. "It's a shame that this place was condemned." His lips turned up in a sneer, "I bet that Mustang was highly disappointed, I do believe it was probably one of the only perks of that job."

Envy was busy staring at a solid gold statue, "I see how it is…" His face had formed an angry glare, "You stayed up here in this palace while the rest of us were out doing the dirty work."

Pride's face had gone dark, "While you were out doing reconnaissance work I was the one slitting throats. I think you are forgetting your place, with my father dead I am the head of our group and you will watch your tongue in my presence."

Envy's lip curled, "Do you think that means shit now? What is this group you talk about? Its only you and me pal and let's be honest I am only putting up with you because I got nothing better to do. Well that and a good plot of revenge always put me in a good mood."

Pride didn't answer Envy's blatant statements, he continued to lean back in his chair his gaze focused at the ceiling. "We have a visitor."

Ed cringed as the creaking floorboards gave away his position. His attention was focused on the man's voice announcing his presence; which blinded him to the floorboards protests as he moved forward. Without further warning the floor gave way sending Ed crashing down onto a dinning room table. Shaking the dirt and dust from him he realized that to his right sat the son of Bradley and to his left stood who could be none other than the Envy character.

Both of the men seemed just as shocked to have witnessed the ceiling cave in, that Ed felt in having fallen through it. Almost simultaneously the two men drew their guns as Ed drew his. Ed's heart rate jolted, he was outnumbered and outmaneuvered two guns to one, two men against one. This wasn't the worse situation he had ever found himself in but as he was smack dab in the middle he couldn't help but feel he had lost the upper hand. Thinking fast he turned to Bradley, "What is it that you're trying to do here?"

Salem raised his eyebrows, "Do you think you are in a position to be asking me questions? I think that I should be the one asking the questions. For example who sent you and who else is with you?"

Ed gave him a dirty look ignoring his questions, "Why did you send a death threat to Miss Rockbell?"

Bradley brushed the dirt from his pants keeping his eyes and gun still aimed directly at Ed, "Ahh I know who you are! You must be Edward Elric am I correct?" He noticed the brief look of shock that flitted in his eyes. "Of course you are, so you are here to protect your fiancé. I was so sorry to hear that you postponed the wedding I was rather looking forward to it."

Elric turned his nose up at him, "Your just like your father, he too loved to play these sick games with peoples lives."

Salem smiled whole heartedly, "Yes he was a genius my father." He smirked slightly, "Hmm I suppose I could answer some of your questions before I finish you off. Now where to begin…ah the reason behind all of this is very simple, revenge. That Rockbell Girl aided in the death of my father I am sure of it, thus she will pay."

"What about Havoc what did he do to deserve your wrath?"

This time Envy spoke up, "The man was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Edward clenched his fists the other hand gripping his gun tightly. "So what after you kill Winry you'll go back into hiding?

Salem stopped smiling, "Hiding? No…no we will not hide. I will revive my father's army and retake his place as Fuhrer of this land. I am not the only one out there who finds the end of one war the beginning of a new."

Winry sat across the table from Al avoiding conversation by giving her plate the death stare. She pushed the food around with her fork; she had lost her appetite awhile ago. There was an emptiness that floated in the air between them. A great distance had been forged by the secrets she knew he was keeping from her. Her heart betrayed her silence, "Al why didn't you go with your brother?"

Al looked up from his dinner which he had barely touched. His face looked drained. "Winry, it's like I said I would have just been in the way…." Before he could finish his sentence Winry had placed her hands firmly on the table standing up quickly sending her chair crashing to the floor. "Al if this is how it's going to be…you and Ed lying straight to my face, I don't think I can do it anymore." She started to walk out the kitchen but Al grabbed her wrist.

"Winry wait!"

She looked over her shoulder at him, "No Al I'm done waiting. How can you look me in the eyes and lie again and again. I'm done with the waiting and I'm done with the lying. I can't keep fooling myself that either of you will ever truly let me in, I will always be an outsider." Her eyes blazed with unsaid words, "I will always come second to you two." She tried to leave but Al refused to let her arm go.

"Winry it's not like that, you don't understand how much it pains us to see you hurting. Especially Ed…Winry you need to see something." Al knew he was breaking his promise but he also knew that he should have told her the truth from the very start. He led her upstairs to his room where he pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of the trash. With a slight hesitance he slowly handed it over to her dreading her reaction.

Winry's face looked stunned as she noticed that the note was addressed to her. "Al is this letter the same letter Riza gave me a few days ago?"

Al nodded his head.

Her mouth formed a deep frown, "Al why did you have it…" She stopped halfway once her eyes had read the notes content. With a terrified look she dropped to her knees letting the paper fall from her hands. "So he went after them…for my sake?"

"I'm so sorry Win he didn't want to scare you. The real reason he left me here was to look after you." His voice came down to a soft whisper, "He didn't want you to worry. We just need to ride this out and hope for the best."

She began to spin the ring on her hand nervously, "I should be the one who's sorry. If it wasn't for me your brother wouldn't be out there risking his life."

Al gripped her shoulders tightly with his hands, "Win you mean just as much to me as brother does. This isn't the time to be placing blame, you didn't ask for all of this."

It was then that they heard the balcony door upstairs slide open followed by several slow and heavy footsteps. Winry froze to the spot her eyes flickering to the stairs.  
Al grabbed her hand and pulled her to the foot of the basement stairs. His face formed a quiet order as he motioned for her to stay down there as he went to confront the intruder. But this time Winry would have none of it, she stayed right by his side. Her eyes were filled with determination, "If it's me they want, then it's me their going to get. Al you don't have to do this alone."

Al knew the feeling of being left behind all too well as his brother's absence carefully reminded him. So with a quick nod in her direction the two of them returned to the stairs just in time to see Armstrong's face come into the light.

Winry's face widened in disbelief, "Major Armstrong…what are you doing here?"

He put a kind of sheepish look on his face as he stared at their surprised faces. "The front door was locked, so I climbed up to the balcony…"

Al shook his head looking bemused, "So you scare the crap out of us by breaking in?"

"Well I was sent here by Mustang." His face glowed with pride, "He said that I was to come and watch out for you two until they have this situation under control."

Winry moved in closer, "Situation?"

Armstrong put his hand behind his head in a nervous habit, "No there's nothing to worry about Miss Winry, there is no situation."

Before Winry could retort Al let out a long and drawn out sigh, "Its best if you just tell the truth."

Winry gave him an approving look her eyes twinkling with victory.

Armstrong's face fell a little the glow fading from his expression, "Well as you know Breda and Fuery were assigned the task of hunting down Havoc's killer. However they uncovered a possible duo working together, one of them being Bradley's son. It was right about the time that we got this info that Edward showed up with the death note addressed to you." He nodded his head in her direction as if to point out a very important piece of information. "Well as I'm sure both of you can attest to Mr. Elric is quite the lose cannon when it comes to threats. Upon hearing about the suspects he left on his own to find the two men. Now the situation that has presented itself is that we have lost contact with both Breda and Fuery and we still have no idea where Edward went." It seemed as if he was fighting to bring the last specks of information from his mouth. "So we have to assume that they are all dead and our number one lead now falls onto you Miss Rockbell. Since you have been targeted we can only assume that they mean to come after you. That is why I am here."

Winry was speechless as she tried to process everything she had just heard. Her lips formed a determined line as her hands flew to her hips, "Well that's stupid; they shouldn't assume that they are dead. I don't think that they will be so easily beaten, you have to have more faith in them than that Major."

Major Armstrong pulled her into a hug the tears welling up in his eyes, "Oh my dear you are truly a blessing from above. Mr. Elric is so very lucky to have such an enduring woman by his side."

Winry blushed scarlet as he continued to speak about what a lovely couple they made. The rest of his ramblings she tuned out as her thoughts traveled to Ed. 'I hope wherever you are that you are safe.'

Al was however joining in with Armstrong discussing her and Ed's relationship. She gave them a glowering look as they had arrived on the topic of kids.

"Imagine the little rascals, I can see them now!" Armstrong simply beamed as his mind was lost in the clouds of dreams.

Upon hearing this line Winry surprised them as she laughed for the first time in days her mind forming a vision of children running around the house. This thought however made her a little uneasy, why had she never even imagined such things before? The corners of her lips turned down, these rare moments of happiness always seemed to disappear as reality sunk in. The reality was that they weren't even married, someone was out to kill her and Edward had gone off in search of murderers. Darker more sinister thoughts were bubbling up in her mind as the weight of it all threatened to overwhelm her. Everything was so screwed up, she hadn't even thought of the future in terms of a happy ending. In her mind that happy ending that included one happy family seemed like a distant fantasy in their world of war and death. Without explanation she plastered a fake smile to her face and looked at Armstrong and Al, "Major please feel free to take the guest room I'm sure Al can show you where it is, I think I'm going to call it a night."

Al glanced outside, the sun had barely set. "Hey Winry are you alright?" She didn't respond right away so he continued, "Win he's OK I know it, don't worry he wouldn't die now. After all didn't he make a promise to marry you? So he cant die just yet, you two still need to get hitched."

Winry felt a rush of gratitude and love for Al at that moment. She knew he was just as worried as she was but his words were the perfect cure to her hearts doubts. That was exactly the kind of reassurance she needed, "I know Al, thank you."

Once the two men heard her door shut they turned to one another. Al's face turned gloomy, "So what are the odds that they really are dead?"

Armstrong's usual happy demeanor vanished, "It isn't comforting that we haven't been able to reach Breda and Fuery. So even as hard as it is to admit, the likelihood that they are still alive is quite small. However your brother is a completely different story, I couldn't tell you what the odds are for him."

However at that very moment if they would have looked upon Ed's predicament they might have predicted that his odds were quite small. Ed might have even argued as he found himself the target of two guns that odds didn't look good at all.

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"Nobody said it was easy  
It's such a shame for us to part  
Nobody said it was easy.  
No one ever said it would be so hard" Coldplay

Until next time

Amy


	23. Eye for an Eye

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Chapter 23: Eye for an Eye

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Ed stayed standing between the two men careful to keep his eyes trained on their weapons. It felt like he was back in the midst of the war; once again coming face to face with death. He remembered the way his adrenaline would pump through his veins enabling him to do the impossible. But standing between the two sins he realized he must be all out because as he stood before them the only word that came to mind was. "Shit."

Salem seemed to be enjoying the position Ed was stuck in. He stared blankly at him daring him to make a move. But as Ed tried to figure out how to escape he couldn't shake the feeling that Envy was growing rather impatient. His instincts told him that there wasn't much time before one of them snapped. Envy's eyes didn't have the same calmness of Bradley's; in fact he could practically see the blood pumping through his veins screaming at him to take charge. His instincts were proved right in an instant as Envy pulled the trigger taking his shot at Ed. Feeling the adrenaline finally recharge his body he managed to jump backwards off the table as soon as his eyes caught the flinch in Envy's hand. With one last look at Bradley Ed took off out of the room; he had once again averted death by the skin of his teeth. Bradley sat in the chair his face caught in surprise as he let his guard down. Envy's bullet had left a gaping hole on the side of his head where his ear had once resided. An infuriated scream followed Ed as he swiftly maneuvered through the house. He ignored the voices until he heard the sound of gunshots. His feet stopped moving instantly as the sound reverberated through the empty corridors. His thoughts strayed to Havoc and Fuery, 'They couldn't have found this place, could they?' He played tug of war with his mind before he took a deep breath and turned around heading back to the dinning room. There was only one way to find out.

Salem clutched at his head, his eyes full of fury. "You…idiot." Was all he could manage through his clenched jaw.

Envy stood rooted to the spot completely baffled as to how the hell he had missed that shot. He barely noticed Salem as he made a move to follow Ed. Bradley's temper getting the best of him made his move; without warning he had both hands tightly wrapped around Envy's throat. His face had gone deranged with a crazed smile, "Oh you don't know how long I've been waiting to do this." The blood that was running down the side of his head was now on the hand that was chocking Envy without mercy. "Beg I want to hear you beg for your life."

Envy smirked at him chocking out a retort, "What are you going to do…kill me?" He tried to laugh but Bradley's hands had finally closed off his airways. Getting bored Bradley finally dropped him but before Envy could regain his composure he heard gunshots and knew that it was all over. He didn't particularly care for this Salem guy and all his cockiness but as the darkness closed in he realized with an envious thought that there was nothing he could do now.

Bradley wiped the spit from his face feeling slightly dazed by the loss of blood. But the look on his face mirrored insanity as he gazed upon the face of his former comrade. A smirk began to form on his face as his thirst for blood took over. "I told you to beg." He finally pulled his eyes from the body, his deathly pale face ablaze with hatred. He couldn't wait any longer, especially now. Salem took off out of the house not after the boy but towards the city where he knew she would be. There was no more time for planning he knew what he was going to do as he felt the cold barrel of his gun in his pocket.

Breda and Fuery finally sat down their exhaustion taking over. Their search for the two sins was becoming increasingly more frustrating as time dragged on. Fuery began angrily tinkering with several different communication devices, "I can't believe we lost contact with Central. This equipment was working perfectly before we left."

Breda too was lost in thought. "Well the best plan of action would be to count our losses and establish a route to Resembool. Since it is the nearest town we can reestablish our communication lines there and work to develop a new plan of attack. I believe it unwise to continue until we have checked in with Central Headquarters."

Fuery looked up from his work his face rather dazed, "Yeah I didn't catch any of that."

With a deep sigh Breda shook his head.

Edward walked slowly back into the dinning room his heart beating loudly in his chest. He felt relief wash over him as he found the victim of Bradley's bullets. Lying on the ground was indeed Envy. A small pool of blood had developed around his body, but just to be sure Ed reached out for a pulse. He quickly retracted his hand as he grabbed for his gun, he knew for certain that he had just felt a heartbeat. Grabbing the collar of his shirt he roughly pulled him up trying to wake him. The man began to stir his hands immediately going for his gun. Ed was too quick for him having already removed his weapon, "Where did your buddy go?" Envy's eyes started to roll back into his head. "HEY! Where did Bradley head off to?!"

Envy really didn't like this Fullmetal guy but as he came in and out conscious he smiled deliriously. "He shot me."

Ed scrunched his face up in distaste, "Just answer my question where did Bradley go?"

"He's going to finish it; he's going to kill her."

Salem knew he was close, but how close he couldn't be sure. He brought his knife up to the man's neck pressing hard enough to break the skin. The man's efforts to get away were ultimately blocked by the wall behind him and the blade in front of him. Salem chuckled maliciously, "So I'm going to ask you one more time, where does the girl live?" The man pressed his lips together tightly in defiance.

The young Bradley screamed into his face, "I SAID WHERE IS SHE?!" Without an answer he sliced open the nameless mans throat. "What a waste of time." His patience was gone; it was then that he noticed the small boy crouched in the corner. A wicked smile came back to his face as he walked slowly over and crouched down to his level. "You know where that girl lives don't you?" The boy was shaking from fear as he glanced back and forth from Bradley's knife to his gun. "Oh there's no need to be shy just tell me where to go."

The boy seemed to struggle for a moment before he finally pointed up the road. Salem's smile continued to broaden. It was almost too easy as not far down the road he noticed a mailbox out in front of a house that was clearly labeled 'Rockbell'.

Winry quietly snuck down the stairs and out the front door. Taking a deep breath she breathed in the cold night air. Silently slipping through the darkness she followed the small glow of fireflies towards the large oak tree. Being cooped up in that house was making her spirit restless. With a soft sigh she leaned back against the trunk of the tree and let her head fall back. For a long time she just gazed up at the moon and the stars. With each passing moment she felt smaller and smaller. It was refreshing the way looking at the endless sky could cure her worries so well. Things out there were just so much bigger than all of this. The sound of rustling grass finally tore her eyes from the sky. The hair on her arms stood straight up as she slowly turned to face the intruder. "Whose there?" With a gasp of relief she almost laughed when she felt her dog give her a slobbery kiss hello. "Den how did you get out here?" She scratched behind his ears as he pushed his head towards her. After awhile he laid down beside her as they were both lulled to sleep. Jolting awake Winry rubbed her back angrily as she felt the pain rise up through her spine. She silently cursed herself for falling asleep outside. Rubbing her tired eyes she sat back up, deciding it was probably best to go back in the house before morning came. Standing up she glanced around for her canine companion; but it was nearly impossible to see in the darkness. "Den? Den…come here boy! Den!" With a frustrated sigh she started walking off into the fields. The sound of whimpering far off in the distance caught her ears. "DEN!" She felt her pace quicken to a run as the whimpering stopped. "DEN!" With a cry of surprise she finally found him. Feet away from her stood a man in shadow her dog hanging lifelessly from his hands.

Bradley couldn't believe his luck as he dangled the bait before the girl. She had come by herself in the middle of the night. He watched as her blonde hair shimmered in the moonlight along with the tears in her eyes. "Well well well, this wouldn't be your dog now would it?" His face twisted into that of mock concern. "You should take better care of him. You need to be more careful, letting your dog out at this time of night…well that's just asking for trouble." The girl remained stationary a horrified look on her face.

Winry felt sick as her eyes traveled from her dog to his face which was covered in blood. She tried to see where it was coming from...

Bradley smirked as he knew what her eyes were looking for. Turning his head so that she could see the side where he was missing an ear he laughed demonishly. "Winry my dear you must speak up I cant hear so well. I said you should be more careful, someone could get hurt."

Winry kept her head up in definace, "What do you want with me?"

Bradley walked into the moonlight, "Equivalent exchange. You took away one life, now I will take yours."

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Sorry I took so long to write this

I just dont know if this chapter is what I wanted it to be

Well hopefully it wasnt too shabby

Amy


	24. Desperate Means to an End

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Chapter 24: Desperate Means to an End

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Her breath came out in quick gasps, her body shaking as she stared into the eyes of a killer. She had seen these eyes before; there could be no doubt in her mind that these were the eyes of Bradley's son. A twinge of fear flickered through her heart, 'so this was the man who had killed Havoc.'

Salem smirked lightly as he watched the girl quiver in fear her eyes wide at his presence. He dropped the dog to the ground where it laid in a heap of fur. There was a weird feeling growing inside him as he studied this girl, how could this woman have killed his father? The greatest of men had been brought to his death by this weak girl? The calm that had shrouded his emotions as he had cut up the annoying dog suddenly began to heat with anger. He took a step towards her his eyebrows arching in observation of what it was that this woman had that his father did not. In one swift movement he clasped his hand around her chin bringing her face into the light. His eyes glinted with a mysterious power as he surveyed her face. "So tell me girl how did you do it." He leaned into the trembling girl letting his nose drag across her jaw until his mouth was at her ear. "Did you enjoy killing him?"

Winry could hear her heartbeat drumming through her ears making the blood rush to her head in a dizzying whirl. She turned her head sharply to try and escape his touch, but her efforts only made him hold on tighter. His breath on her neck sent horrified chills down her spine. Her mind was screaming at her body to do something, anything. The emotion was building in her as her breaths quickened and her heart began to beat uncontrollably fast. Her memories tore at her; begging her to not become a victim over and over again. She had been so weak, so incredibly weak to the power of heartless men like him. The world seemed to spin around her as her thoughts swirled around putting her in a deep trance. Finally with all the fury of her will power, and a strength she had always possessed she slammed her knee into him; her arms repelling him from her body.

The force of her blow sent him stumbling away from her his eyes wide in surprise. Her eyes were just as wide, her actions as much a surprise to him as they were to her. Turning quickly she sprinted off into the field wishing she had not wandered so far away from the house at this hour of the night. With a cry she felt something collide against her back sending her to the ground her advances halted. Her face hit painstakingly with the ground the dirt clinging to her tear stained face. She didn't have to turn her head to know he was the one holding her down. He roughly pulled her head back with a fist full of her golden locks. "I don't believe we were finished." He turned her head to the side so he could look into her face. "You never answered my question." The effect of his dark demeanor was quickly vanishing as she saw him panting with the effort it had taken for him to take her down. No. This time it would be different. She wouldn't be a helpless victim, she would no longer submit to the wills of others. She jerked her shoulder up; violently hitting him in the face. Red blood splattered across her face as she rolled out from under him pushing off the ground with her arms. Her legs shakily flew under her body as they propelled her away from him. His angry cries were far too close to her as she felt something sharp slice across her arm. She was no fool, she wouldn't turn back. She didn't need to look into his face to know that he was no longer in the mood for words. The waist high field grass slid along her legs as she forced them into a desperate race, a race of wills and strength that she was determined to win.

Salem clenched his fists as he bolted after the girl. Her hair swung tantalizing out behind her teasing him with every step she took. The sight of house lights coming closer into focus infuriated him. He cursed his own stupidity for not killing her on the spot; now he would have to deal with those troublesome fools he knew central had sent to protect her.

Al shifted in his sleep restlessly, the cool night air finally pulling him from his fight with the sandman. Sitting up he had an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He slowly lowered his legs to the floor stretching as he stood up and making his way to the hallway. Something felt off as he stood in the darkened house, the only noise being the rather loud snoring coming from the room in which Armstrong was staying. He began to make his way down to the kitchen for a glass of water when he noticed Winry's door was open her lights left on. He poked his head through her doorway surprised to find the room vacant. Furrowing his brow he went downstairs, "Winry you up?" He called around the kitchen, and again in the living room but there was no answer. With a sigh he noticed that den who had been sleeping by the front door was also missing. He wearily shook his head in annoyance. She was probably sitting out by that tree with Den, it was clear she had been having just as much trouble sleeping as he was. He slipped his coat on and walked out the door, he knew the sleep he desired wouldn't come tonight so he figured at least could give her some company. But as he walked towards the old Oak tree he felt himself searching the yard, there was no Den and there was no Winry. His mind started to wander, she wouldn't have gone for a walk this late in the night…or would she?

He began to walk towards the back fields his eyes searching for signs that she had been there. But as he got closer his ears picked up on a rustling noise amongst the tall grass. He squinted in the dark, there was no breeze; something was defiantly coming closer and closer. Standing his ground he jumped when he felt a large hand grasp his shoulder. Turning sharply he let out a strangled breath of relief as the large figure of Major Armstrong removed his hand from his shoulder.

Armstrong woke from his beautiful dreams as he heard the sound of the front door shut. His senses coming alive he darted to the hallway noticing that both Alphonse's and Winry's rooms were empty. Running outside he noticed Al walking towards the western fields. Grabbing his shoulder to alert him to his presence he felt his mind grow unsettled as Winry was nowhere in sight. "Alphonse what are you doing up this late?" His face lacked its usual sparkle. "You do realize that we are missing our beauty sleep." His mind reverted back to his original thoughts, "Where's Miss Rockbell?"

Before Al could answer the rustling in the grass pulled his eyes back to the field in time to see someone approaching them and fast. As they began to walk toward the figure they could make out a trail of blond hair amongst the tall grasses. It was then that Al noticed who it was.

"Winry!" Al loudly called out her name as he recognized her hair flying out behind her. The relief he felt at seeing her made him slightly irritated that she had worried them so. However his breath caught in his throat as the gap between them shortened. The moonlight revealed his fears as he noticed the trails of dirt, tears and blood on her face. Her left arm appeared to be cut open, the blood flowing steadily down her pale skin.

Winry heard him call her name as he caught sight of her appearance. But she knew it was too late as her head flew back, her body thrown backwards.

Salem yanked her hair back reaching his left arm around her so that his knife was placed along her throat. She let out a whimper as the blade drew close enough that she could feel the cool metal against her skin.

"I could do it, one swipe and she's done for."

Al mentally beat himself as he looked at Winry helplessly trapped before him. How many times would he let people get hurt in front of him? "Bradley what do you want with her? She never fought in the war, your fight is with us."

Bradley shook his head, "I'm afraid its not that simple, you see this young lady killed my father. Now I was brought up to be very loyal to my father and I think he would be pleased for me to seek revenge on his part."

Al froze as the words left Salem's mouth. He was after her because he thought she was the one who had killed Bradley? His words came out in a rush sounding braver than he felt inside. "She didn't kill your father."

"Oh how convenient and I suppose you know who did?"

Al cautiously took a step forward.

Winry knew immediately from the look on his face what he was about to say. Al was like a little brother to her, he didn't deserve the wrath of this sick man. "No Al please." Her eyes bore into his begging him to stop. "Don't."

Salem roughly pulled her closer to him, "Shut it woman let him speak."

"I did it, I killed your father. I shot him from behind, he never saw it coming."

Winry closed her eyes she wouldn't let him do this. "Al don't lie for me. He knows I did it, its too late." Her voice remained strong as she willed herself to do what she felt was right.

Al watched as her eyes pleaded with him and for that moment he wished that she didn't care about him. That she would let him pay for his actions.

Meanwhile Breda and Fuery together had finally reached Resembool. However the presence of some military men from around the area made them stop. Breda let out an exhale of relief, "Great, at least now we cant finally report back to central before Mustang freaks out on us. The grim looks on the officers faces made Fuery cautious as his eyes surveyed the scene. Looking at their lower rank Fuery saw once they noticed his uniform their salute to his presence. "At ease men, what has happened here?"

One of the officers stepped forward, "Sir there has been a murder. We do have a witness, the problem is he wont speak."

Breda furrowed his brow in thought, "Who is it?"

"Its the mans son." The officer led him over to where the boys mother was tearfully trying to comfort him.

Fuery bent down so that he was eye level with the boy. "What's your name son?"

The boy looked up but didn't say a word his face still horrified at the events that had occurred. "Please we need to find who did this to your father."

The boy's mother pulled him closer to her side rubbing his back gently, "Please honey, its the only way we can help them."

"He…he went to find that girl..." His voice quivered with shame and fear, "I…I told him where she lived…even though daddy wouldn't tell…I was scared…"

Breda glanced at Fuery quickly. "What girl was he looking for?"

The boy now began to cry in earnest, "Winry."

Fuery stood up quickly patting the boy gently on the head, "You did nothing wrong, there is nothing to be ashamed about he is an evil man." He nodded his head towards the woman. "I am so sorry for your loss but we must follow him."

With that the two set off up the hill towards the Rockbell home. The skies darkness loomed over them, its silence a bit unnerving. Breda could feel Fuery tense up as the house came into view its lights casting an eerie glow over the ground. "Why would the lights be on so late at night?" Both of them cautiously grabbed their guns at the sight of the open front door. They searched the empty house thoroughly. Both of them seemed to draw the same conclusion as they proceeded to walk down stairs. However they were halted as they walked to the front room. A man was hunched over something on the front porch.

"Put your hands up."

When the man made no effort to comply with his request Fuery cocked his gun. "Ill ask you one more time, put your hands up and turn around so I can see you."

Turning slowly around both men dropped their guns as they recognized Ed's face. Breathing deeply Breda shook his head in relief. "Dammit Fullmetal we almost shot you. Thank goodness you got here; we heard that Salem was headed up this way."

Ed's head hung as he slowly stood up revealing the body of an elderly looking dog its eyes closed but its chest rising slowly. He looked at the two officers, "I found him on my way here…"His voice caught in his throat as he tried to spill out the rest of his thoughts, "He's cut up pretty bad."

Still confused as to what was going on Breda spoke, "Where's the girl?"

Ed stared back at them his face growing pale. "What are you talking about? She's not here?" When he caught sight of their resolute faces he felt a panic leap through his heart. His thoughts were clenched in a climax of pain and fear as Den's chest failed to rise again. He didn't have to put his head down to listen to his pulse to know that he was gone. "We're too late."

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Man Ive had writers block with this story

I'm sorry if the plot is not so great anymore

But your wonderful for reading it anyways

Amy


	25. Karma

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Chapter 25: Karma

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Winry's eyes were pulled back to the blade that was at her throat; her mind left to wander into her past. Visions of all the people she had saved along with the panic and disarray of the war flowed through her. It was as if each vision was dragging her further and further down. The glint of light that flashed off the sharpened edge beckoned her towards a quick death.

A deep feeling of lost lingered in her eyes as she stared at the mesmerizing silver. She had been so sure that with every life that she saved that she would be rewarded someway, somehow. At night she had prayed that in exchange for her non stop labor and dedication to saving lives even in the worst of battles that someone, somewhere was watching out for those brothers, her friends, and her grandmother. But her efforts had only gotten her into more and more complicated situations.

When would doing the right thing save the people she loved from pain. As she gazed upon Al's face she couldn't help but wonder when it was he had stopped being that innocent boy and become so burdened with the sins of these men that his face had aged well beyond his years.

What had been done to Bradley to make him the way he was and worse to raise someone like the man standing behind her. She looked down once again at the blade but this time another flash of light caught her eyes as she looked down at the ring Edward had given her. She was about to break her promise, a promise that she would take her vows of love and devotion. It was quite clear that she would never utter those words to him.  
A humorless thought gathered in her drifting mind as she thought of the man who had proposed to her in the middle of a waging war. How had she not seen this coming, how had she not been able to see him become the man that he is until now? The answer appeared in her mind quickly, because it was the same for her.

She had gone to the battlefields with her shinning spirit and courage that rivaled the men on the front. But the war had tainted her and forced her to grow up. Grow up and forget all those silly happy notions she had had for the future. Their dreams had been sealed away and replaced by the brutal reality. But whatever it was that caused them to grow up she was happy that she had at least been able to do something in this world. In her dream world she would have been planning her wedding. Shopping for her dress with her mother, watching Edward squirm under her fathers stern protective nature for his daughter and her well being.

Alphonse would be more excited than her, ready to make her part of their family. At that moment she thought hopelessly of the wedding invitation that Mrs. Hughes had insisted she make once the war was over. Her heart sank…what a lost cause.

Edward felt an incredible force of rage wrack through his body as he made his way in stealth towards the gathering in the field. The sun was about to break across the horizon its rays warning its approach.

It was almost too easy to hide amongst the tall grasses as he approached Selim from behind. He knew instantly why his brother and Armstrong stood rooted to the ground their faces full of anguish and frustration. The young Bradley had made good on his word, he was going to kill the only girl Ed had ever loved.

Everything from the tear tracks on her face to the rips lined with blood in her clothing made Edwards heart scream. His desire to protect her had always been his top priority, even weighing out his heart at times. The same heart that was screaming out at her obvious pain began to race as he formulated his attack. It had to be precise, there was no room for mistakes with the life he held in his hands.

Something in his brother's eyes grabbed his attention; his eyes grew large as he recognized it. Not waiting for his brother's selfless act to get him killed or allow for Winry to suffer Ed decided it was time. He felt like he had dragged them all into this, now it was his turn to bail them out.

In an instant he had grabbed Selim's arm with the blade away from Winry while slamming his body to the ground. Everything happened so quickly it took him several seconds to work out just what he had done. He fell to the ground his eyes glued to the object in his chest. He noticed with a small smile of relief that Armstrong had taken over and was now restraining the young Bradley with what appeared to be little effort. Alphonse had recovered from his shock quickly enough to catch Winry in his arms. Ed wanted to sigh with relief but the pain in his chest was almost too much to bare as he stared at his brothers shocked expression.

Winry felt the arms binding her release as she was thrown into the awaiting arms of the younger Elric. Her breath came out in a shudder of relief as she sank her head into his chest. But the hitching of Al's breath grabbed her attention as his body went stiff. Turning her sights back to Bradley, who was now being detained by Alex she was slightly stunned as to why she hadn't seen it before. Her eyes lit up as her gaze rested on her savior, the man who had always saved her.

Her feelings of relief and love vanished instantly as her eyes connected with his. She was suddenly well aware of why he had such a pained expression on his face. A high pitched unearthly like scream filled her ears sending chills down her spine. It was one she had heard before on the battlefields of South City, but this scream if possible seemed worse, far worse.

Her mind which had been working in slow motion slowly began to catch up with her body which had already thrown itself by his side. It was then as he reached towards her face that she realized that she was the one screaming as her eyes caught the end of the dagger that was now resting deep within Edward Elric.

"Edward! Oh no Edward! Edward Please stay with me!"

Edward looked down at his chest and then weakly back at Winry's horrified expression of pain and angst. The tears were now freely falling down her cheeks slowly dripping onto his face. It wasn't fair; he didn't want to die with only an image of pain on her face left in his mind.

He chuckled painfully as he grabbed her hand weakly, "Win I've seen you fix people loads of time, this is no different." His brow was wrinkled in an effort to keep his pain at bay. "I trust you."

Winry stared at the handle of the blade her eyes betraying her fears, "Ed…I cant do it."

Knowing that what he was asking was hurting her deeply Ed clenched his jaw tightly as he quickly with all his strength ripped the dagger from his chest before everything began to grow hazy.

The sight of blood broke Winry from her daze; her mind quickly alerted to his need for medical attention that only she could give. Without thinking she ripped part of her clothing off as she tried to bandage his wound the best she could.

Hours, no days couldn't take away the look of horror that had etched itself into the young beautiful features of the girl. Al hated seeing her like this and he knew that his expression was the same as her eyes mirrored his own look of fear and pain. The worst part was that they were caught in the unknown. A world of waiting. He knew that Winry hated waiting and he was learning exactly what it was like for her to always be waiting. Al let his hand find hers. Once she had grasped it he gave it a gentle squeeze in an attempt to convey everything he could not say.

Winry turned to him her face gracefully finding the courage to smile. "I'm glad you're here Al."

She then resumed her task of changing Edwards bandages. Her face flinched with remorse as she gentlytook away the bloodstained bandages to replace them with new ones. Winry turned around hesitantly as she watched Al leave the room. She was thankful at that moment that he always seemed to know her feelings. Once he was gone she sat down wearily in the chair next to Ed's bed, letting her hand caress his peaceful face. Her voice came out in a beautiful murmur that carried its way to his ears. "Edward."

It was the voice of an angel that woke Edward Elric.

Opening his eyes he smiled at her in awe, "Winry."

Winry's eyes misted over as she let her lips seal themselves against his refusing to break apart.

After what seemed like an eternity of not breathing Winry pulled back sheepishly a small blush covering her features.

Ed smirked up at her, "Geez Win if Id known you could kiss like that I would have stabbed myself sooner."

Winry eyed him angrily for a moment before Ed pulled her back for another kiss; to which all her anger vanished. She was suddenly well aware of what saving lives had given her. Her karma for saving lives was that she had been able to save his. That she was able at that very moment to kiss the lips of someone who attracted danger and death almost as easily as she could cure it was her reward.

* * *

Long time huh

I don't know why this story gave me such problems

I apologize for the lack of editing and lateness

Amy


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